


The Enterprise Spring Vacation

by Anna_Yolei



Category: Star Trek: Enterprise
Genre: F/M, Humor, Mind Reading, Not Canon Compliant, Shore Leave, Slow Burn, repost from ff.net
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-09-22
Updated: 2018-09-23
Packaged: 2019-07-15 11:53:57
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 19
Words: 89,224
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16062578
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Anna_Yolei/pseuds/Anna_Yolei
Summary: Archer and T'Pol try to push their feelings for one another aside-all while spending a six-day shore leave together. (originally published in 2004)





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> Note: this is one of my first attempts at "serious" writing back when I was in high school. Looking back on this, I cringe at spots; however, I do still get a review on two once every six months and I've been told it still makes the rounds of A/T'P fic recs, so I'm finally creating an AO3 to host this.
> 
> For the sake of easier reading and for anyone who'd want a downloaded copy, I've omitted most of the author's notes from the original ff.net upload. I've also gone back to clean up some sentence structure, spelled Jonathan (with two "A"s) correctly this time (Thank you, rude flamer from 2005 who so eloquently informed me of that!) and changed the name of the Dax symbiote who would have been alive around this time, but it is 99 percent intact. Warts and all. :)
> 
> Time-wise, this takes place after season two and (per my notes I read while uploading this, which I'd forgotten about) disregards the Xindi War because "it was way too OOC." As though T'Pol flipping off Phlox wasn't. I miss being a teenager :)

_T'Pol rested her head on Jonathon's bare chest. She noted she was resting in his quarters and the bed held two, unlike hers, but this fact did not bother her. T'Pol had on one of his button-up shirts, which was considerably loose on her small frame. Jonathon slept on, while she looked down on him. The Vulcan calmness she usually displayed did not compare to the calmness she was feeling in his presence._

Which was why it surprised her when she woke up at 0300 in her own quarters alone. T'Pol felt her heart rate was elevated and she was sweating. She seldom dreamt if she had meditated the night before, which was every night with few exceptions, and when it did happen, the dreams were far less intense and forgotten about before she left her quarters. This time, however, it was harder to shake the memory of the dream. The fact she had been in Captain's Archer's quarters and not been wearing her own clothing greatly agitated her.

Doctor Phlox suggested once to speak her mind when she felt troubled. T'Pol did not feel conversing with anyone would be the best idea, least of all Captain Archer himself. She did trust Doctor Phlox, but it was late and she wished not to disturb his sleep. With that in mind, she got up and lit her candles. Perhaps meditation will settle her a bit.

***

Jonathon woke up from a very familiar dream. He'd had it when Porthos was sick and he was in Sickbay with Doctor Phlox, who insisted there was sexual tension between him and Subcommander T'Pol. The dream was where the two of them were alone in Decon; neither had on a t-shirt. She was pressed up against him, rubbing the decon gel on him, and he doing the same for her. He wanted her so much, and got a bit of a rush as T'Pol reached up to kiss him, moving her tongue around with his. He always woke up at this point.

As usual, he felt guilty about this dream. He knew it took a long time for T'Pol to respect him-not just in the commanding officer sort of way, but for her to actually become a friend. If she were to ever find out, this might ruin all which he had worked so hard to get. She was a member of his crew, even if it wasn't official anymore.

"I was warned this would happen…" he said out loud to no one but himself. Archer got up to his shower and turned in on to cold.

 

 


	2. Dawning

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> T'Pol speaks with Phlox concerning some rather interesting dreams involving

An hour of meditation had proved unsuccessful in easing her agitation for T'Pol could not explain why she had that type of dream about Captain Archer. She had never experience a sexual fantasy of any sort before, and this alarmed her very much. Her disciplined mind searched for a logical explanation for this occurrence but could find none. After about an hour or so of this futile exercise, she blew out the candles, changed into her normal attire and took a walk to the Mess Hall to get a cup of mint tea.

As she walked in to the replicator near the entrance, the first person she ran into was Captain Archer.

"Computer, hot chocolate, please. With marshmallows."

He turned around as he sensed T'Pol was behind him. Jonathan was a little shocked. "Good evening, T'Pol. What brings you here this late?"

"I couldn't sleep."

T'Pol noticed Captain Archer was wearing a sleeveless and very form-fitting tank top that left little to anyone's imagination. Archer didn't make a habit of being so lax with his clothing, but he figured he wouldn't run into anyone this late at night. He wasn't too worried about T'Pol, though. She didn't have thoughts like about him in her head.

Jonathan took his cup and stepped out of the way so she could replicate her drink.

 _Am I…in love with her?_ Jonathan thought to himself. He shook it out of him mind, knowing he shouldn't be thinking in that way.

She soon came to realize he was watching her. In her nervousness she didn't know she was feeling, she absently pressed a preset button on the drink replicator. T'Pol felt her heart rate speed up once more. She glanced at him briefly and the sensation worsened. As soon as her drink filled up from the button she pressed T'Pol grabbed it up and headed back out. Jonathan gave her one last look.

"Um...T'Pol, I'm going to the gym after I drink this. Care to join me?" _Yeah, that's what I need…to spend more time with her and get more images in my mind…_

"No thank you," she said quietly. The sight of him nude body was still rather fresh in her mind and T'Pol didn't think working out together would be the best idea. "I'll see you on the bridge."

He nodded as she stepped out.

When T'Pol went to sip her tea, she noticed it was rather sweet tasting. She looked into her cup and it donned on her that she had pressed the button for a drink the Captain was rather fond of: Pepsi. She didn't much care for it herself; however, she didn't want to go back in there to get her tea. _I suppose I can get through without it,_ she told herself. With that, she went back to her room, and lay awake in her bed till it was time for her shift.

T'Pol went to her station at 0800 hours, and saw Captain Archer sitting in his chair across from her. He nodded to her as she walked in, but she didn't feel…anything. Which was a very fortunate thing, as romantic feelings would only cause inefficiency in her work.

That was the first of many sleepless nights for her.

***

_Three weeks later-_

"Captain to all hands. If you look over on the port bow, you'll notice a Minshara class planet. We may go on shore leave there, so I suggest you start packing. Archer out."

Archer turned his attention to T'Pol, who was looking it over in her scanner. She turned around to face him.

"The planet is twenty-five percent oxygen, and the average temperature is 10 degrees centigrade. There are a lot of mountains that are covered with snow in the north central portion of the main continent, in case someone likes to ski."

"That's a bit nippy, don't you think?"

"Nippy?" T'Pol raised her eyebrow, "I believe it is, sir. However, I see no indications there will be any sort of unbearable conditions such as snow or rain to ruin shore leave for the crew."

Malcolm Reed stood up. "The cold is nothing in England. It's the fog we worry about."

Archer nodded in acknowledgement. "So, do we want to take a shore leave here? It's not exactly beach weather, but it could be fun in the snow."

"I'm up for it," Hoshi Sato said.

"Me too," Travis Mayweather added.

"Then it's settled. We'll all leave at 1530 hours. I suggest we leave now and pack."

"Aye sir," Reed, Mayweather and Sato responded.

"Take us out of warp, Travis." He did so.

As they filed out into the turbolift, Archer turned to look at T'Pol, who stayed unmoving at her post. Lately he had noticed she was looking rather tired. He thought it was his imagination till Trip and he were talking and he mentioned that T'Pol was quieter than usual during their neuropressure sessions. As a concerned captain, he would ask her if anything was bothering her but she told him she was fine. Of course, T'Pol wouldn't tell him if anything was really wrong until she absolutely had to…

An idea popped into his head. She'd get her rest, whether she wanted it or not.

"Subcommander, that meant you too." He put a hand on her shoulder. When T'Pol did not glance, or even acknowledge this gesture he forgot it was even on her.

"Captain, someone must stay on _Enterprise_ and watch the ship. I do not require shore leave. You forget a Vulcan can go up to three weeks on end without sleep."

Archer sighed. T'Pol was so stubborn about this sort of thing.

"T'Pol, how long have we been in space?"

"Two years, four months three weeks and five days."

 _Boy, she really needs to get out more._ "And we've had three shore leaves in that time, and you have not been on one. Lately, it seems your mind is somewhere else, so I think a break is in order."

She looked at him and blinked in that slow fashion which still ticked Archer off. "I'm fine, Captain."

"I can always order you to go, but I'd rather not do that."

T'Pol said nothing. She did not understand Captain Archer's desire to force her to rest when she did not need to do so. He had been correct in saying she was not so focused on her work lately.

"Besides, I'm giving the whole crew shore leave. Six days. You'll be bored easily by yourself here."

"Vulcans don't _get_ bored."

He sighed. "Of course not. I'll send someone down to relieve you of duty so you can pack. You may want to pack warmly. The planet is a bit colder than you are used to and your usual attire probably won't suffice."

She had not thought of that. "As I said, I do not need to go." She only now noticed his hand was still there on her shoulder. She felt her temperature rise slightly and her heartbeat quicken. Looking into his eyes intensified this feeling. Likewise, Archer became aware he still had his hand there. He removed it, and a slight blush came across his face.

"I'll have the Quartermaster see if there's something for you to wear for the six days. You're not getting out of it that easy." He grinned.

T'Pol had no explanation why she just then felt overheated. As soon as the feeling came, it left. She wished not to disappoint Captain Archer, but she may have to stay on _Enterprise_ if she were sick. She made up her mind to go to Sick Bay after she was relieved.

"Well, I have to go. You have the bridge, T'Pol." She nodded as Archer walked off the bridge to the Turbolift.

***

_1500 Hours…_

Commander Trip Tucker finished up in Engineering and grabbed his already packed bag, so as to not waste time leaving work. He walked into a Turbolift, running into Malcolm Reed holding his bag.

"Hello, sir."

Trip laughed "Malcolm, we're not on duty, we don't need to be so formal."

He nodded. "Very well then, Trip." This sounded foreign to the Englishman. "So what do you plan to do?"

"Oh, the usual-hit the bars and get a little action." This was Commander Tucker's usual main goal of shore leave, which got the both of them in a whole world of trouble when they went to Risa a while back. "And you, Malcolm?"

"I don't quite know, sir. I'm not much for holidays."

He wasn't much for parties or festivities of that sort. Always the wallflower he was. And don't even get him started about women-although he did have an eye for one in particular…

The turbolift stopped near the Shuttlebay. Tucker left him to himself, knowing he wouldn't get much fun being with Malcolm. Reed ran into Hoshi Sato along the way. She smiled at him. "Hey, sir."

He nodded. "Ensign. Where are you off to?"

"I not too sure. What about you?"

"I don't know, Hoshi. I'm not much for holidays."

She laughed. "Is that what the British call a vacation?"

He smiled a bit. "Well, I thought _you_ were the linguistics genius around here!" He realized he might be flirting with her, which was not allowed. He blushed at this thought. "Well, I guess I'll let you alone." He turned away from her, but Hoshi grabbed for his shoulder.

"I know what's worrying you. You think you're getting a bit too friendly."

He looked down at her and the butterflies flapped in his stomach. She was rather beautiful.

"I don't mind, lieutenant. Really, you should socialize more."

She might be out of line, but it was true. "You're probably right, Ensign."

" I know what; you and I can find some lodging and stay there together."

A big pause as Reed's eyes grew big trying not to look Sato directly in the face.

"Oh, not like _that!_ It's just that I don't want to go rock climbing with Travis, and I don't want to be alone for the entire shore leave. We won't even be in the same room."

He thought about it. A whole week with Hoshi was a very tempting offer. He really did like her, and it was easy for him to open up to her, but she was still off limits. Hell, Malcolm wasn't even sure if he, being a commanding officer, should even fraternize like that. However, Captain Archer was a bit loose on the rules. And it _was_ a shore leave, after all…

"All right then," he replied, trying to contain the excitement he felt in his voice. He extended one arm to her. She looked surprised. "Well, I guess you'll be my date for the week. Shall we?"

Hoshi placed her arm into his. "I see you catch on quickly."

She really wished she could get closer to him. Reed was so secluded and shy, but perhaps that was what appealed to her about him. But he did have a cute smile when he did loosen up enough to laugh. Hoshi wondered if Malcolm would shake his awkwardness and actually get out and about. Maybe, maybe not, but they did have six days.

Doctor Phlox always looked forward to two things aboard _Enterprise_ : First contacts, provided it didn't involve weapons fire and shore leaves. Each new alien species was unique and engaging. He never found a species he didn't like. Commander Tucker thought of him as overly-eager, but he preferred the term opened minded. Phlox didn't know what he'd learn about alien species this time—perhaps he'd learn something new about the species he already knew about.

T'Pol walked into the Sick bay as Doctor Phlox finished the last of his clean up and did his packing.

"Hello, Subcommander! What may I do for you?" He smiled at the Vulcan woman.

"You may help to fix my ailment, Doctor."

"I will, T'Pol. Take a seat." He gestured for her to sit up on the biobed, which she promptly did. "Just what are your symptoms?"

"This morning, on the bridge, Captain Archer and I were discussing my going on shore leave when I noticed his hand was on my shoulder. I felt a little flushed."

He blinked. "Just by looking at him?"

"Of course not, Doctor. That is not possible."

He reached in his packed med kit for his tricorder.

"There is another matter I wish to discuss with you. It's somewhat personal."

"Oh?" His eyes perked up. "What about?"

T'Pol felt extremely uncomfortable with asking this. She did not want to discuss this with anyone, if it were possible not to. However, meditation had failed to suppress the dreams she had been having about Archer, and she may not have another chance to speak of this for the next week.

"Doctor, I have been meditating every night twice for three weeks."

"What for? Something on your mind?"

"Indeed. I've been experiencing very vivid dreams about the Captain, to say the very least, and usually wake up at around 0300 hours when things feel...intense." She had no other word to describe that feeling she felt while dreaming.

"How vivid?" The words came out before he stopped to think about it. The blush that crossed Subcommander T'Pol's cheeks in spite of her mask of stoicism told him everything he needed to know. "Oh…." He couldn't help but smile, which only worsened the tension she was feeling. Her eyes narrowed.

"I do not find this amusing, Doctor."

He composed himself. "I am not mocking your predicament. It's just that I never thought I'd be talking with you of all people about something _this_ personal. I've never spoken to a Vulcan who experienced such emotions in a state of sleep. Most Vulcans I know would deny having feelings at all."

"All Vulcans have emotions, but we choose to suppress them. Normally, I would prefer to sort this out myself. As you can see, I am not able to do so. If I continue with these dreams, it may affect my relationship with Captain Archer in a negative way."

Phlox laughed inside his head. If only he could tell her about the night Porthos was ill and the Captain had spent the night in sickbay. Could she really be experiencing sexual tension too? It was rather odd for a Vulcan to feel and respond to such shallow emotions such as that. _No,_ he thought. _It's much more than that with her._

"Subcommander, these dreams may be a signal of the fact that you and Captain Archer are growing closer to one another. Perhaps you've been spending a lot more time together."

She had considered that possibility. "I do not think so."

"Well, if I didn't know better, I'd say you were in love with him."

She did not love him. That she was sure of. She felt a closeness to him as a captain and first officer would have after serving together for a certain amount of time, but nothing more. She told this to Phlox, who did not agree with her.

"Subcommander, tell me. You worked directly next to Soval when you were on Earth, correct?"

"Yes. I have had many positions where I have worked closely with higher officers."

"Did you feel this same 'bond' like the one you feel for Captain Archer?"

She paused very slightly. " I feel for each individual differently. Soval is most certainly not Captain Archer." She had served under many leaders of the opposite sex before she came aboard _Enterprise_ , but she never had dreams about any of them or gave them much thought while off duty, let alone imagining herself nude in front of them.

"In other words, you have never experienced erotic dreams about any of them?"

"No." There was no way around it. Phlox scanned her with the tricorder.

"Hmmm…Well, Subcommander, you're completely healthy."

T'Pol was confused. "There must be a mistake. I did not feel fine on the bridge, nor do I have an explanation as to why these illogical thoughts about Captain Archer and myself being intimate persist." She took a quick look over the doors to see if anyone else was coming in. There was no one.

"Oh, _that_. Well, considering the information you're already given me, my diagnosis is you're in love." He gave an unusually large smile and she gave him an unusually cold glare.

"Vulcans do not fall in love." The very thought of that caused no amount of irritation which did not show though.

Phlox shook his finger at her.

"Nonsense. You said it yourself; Vulcans have emotions, you simply choose to repress them. Except now, this one is too strong for even you to bury away any longer."

"Even if I weren't Vulcan, that would not be possible. These dreams have only been occurring for a few weeks, and it takes human quite a while to begin a romance."

A few weeks?! He'd seen it coming a mile away!

"I want to ask you something which has persisted in my mind for quite a while now. Why did you leave your post with the High Command?"

 _It was simple._ " _Enterprise_ needed an experienced science officer. I felt it was not the appropriate time for me to leave the Captain."

"Aha! You said it! You didn't want to leave the Captain. That sounds like an emotional attachment to me!"

T'Pol replayed what she just said in her own mind. It would seem to someone such as Phlox that she did have romantic feelings for Captain Archer.

"I hear you had a good position at the High Command, and it was not logical to leave it. What other reason is there to resign from there and continue serving on a human vessel when you would have been given your own command eventually except your feelings for Captain Archer?"

"Captain Archer needed someone on _Enterprise_ who had some expertise with deep space travel. That person happened to be me."

Phlox continued his scan. "I see that as no reason to give up an entire career."

"That was my choice, Doctor, and no concern of yours." Until that moment, T'Pol had given her decision very little thought.

"Hmm. And there's no pathogen I missed from any away mission, before you ask. You're completely healthy and cleared for rest and relaxation. Try not to think about this so much. Perhaps some time away from _Enterprise_ will clear your mind and perhaps you'll find that you _do_ have romantic feelings toward Captain Archer."

T'Pol just stared at him as he spoke. Developing romantic feelings for her commanding officer was not only illogical but also inanely absurd. They would never be able form a relationship while serving together-and this was a long mission. She was still certain she didn't love Captain Archer.

But not as sure as she was before.

"Of course, there's also the possibility you might be feeling more aroused due lack of sexual activity. It's rare in Vulcans, but not unheard of…"

T'Pol noticed the time was 1520 hours, and was relieved to use that as an excuse to end this conversation. "I must go."

She got up off the bio-bed and grabbed her bag, heading out the door.

"Well, I'll be down there with the rest of the crew if you wish to discuss your feelings for Captain Archer further!"

 _Be quiet!_ She wanted to tell him. There was one gesture she knew humans used to keep one from talking. She reached behind herself and extended her middle finger.

"Showing me the finger only proves me right, Subcommander!"

Phlox knew what that meant and thought it best if he let her alone for now. It was probably hard for her to accept, but he knew T'Pol would get around to it.

It would a very exciting six days, Phlox thought to himself.

 


	3. Matters of Circumstance

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hoshi and Malcolm have dinner with some of the locals, while Jonathan and T'Pol find there's only one room left open at the only vacant lodge-with only one bed at that.

Jonathan and Trip stood at the shuttlepod, waiting for T'Pol to show up. While Trip talked about what he was going to do, Jon was replaying what had happened on the bridge that morning

Why had he left his hand on her shoulder for that long? He would have been in trouble for doing that to a Starfleet officer. What puzzled him even more was the fact that T'Pol had said nothing about it. Perhaps she didn't think anything of it, but then again, she didn't know about what he dreamt about these nights. Did he love her? He knew for sure T'Pol would never return the feeling if he did. She was Vulcan-and everyone knew what _he_ thought about Vulcans.

However, that dream he had last night went far against that reputation…

_The lights on the bridge were dim on the bridge for some reason._

_Archer was standing over T'Pol and her console. He wasn't paying much attention to what she was saying about the meteor they had passed by two hours earlier, but noticing there was no zipper to that catsuit. It must make it hard to dress in the morning…_

_"Captain, there is another similar meteor at heading 1-3-5 mark 3-8." She faced him, unknowing of what went on in his head whenever she did that. T'Pol, as always, could sense there was something on his mind. "You seem distracted, sir. Are you okay?" She turned her whole chair around. She didn't get up. Archer placed a hand on either side of the chair on the console, enclosing her there. T'Pol said nothing._

_"I'm fine, Subcommander."_

_She eyed him curiously and placed her hands on his shoulders and began massaging them. "Perhaps this will ease some of your tension."_

_He laughed nervously. "I am not tense, T'Pol."_

_"Perhaps not now." Was she flirting with him?! Well, anything was possible in a dream. Jon's question was answered as T'Pol reached for his left hand and placed it on her waist. He followed suit with his other hand. "I hadn't realized how much tension I had been experiencing myself." She nuzzled his nose with hers._

_Okay, I_ know _this is not appropriate. "T'Pol, perhaps we should end this now, before someone comes on the bridge." Like Trip, who was notorious for being the ship gossip._

_T'Pol merely reached to her console and manually locked the entrance to the bridge before pulling him in even closer. His hands found their way to her legs, where he pushed them a bit wider apart. and stroked her inner thighs. T'Pol let out a bit of a whimper of pleasure._

_"Captain-"_

_"Don't call me that." Not that Archer wasn't a little turned on by that…_

_As he caressed her back again, he felt the material ride up from around the belt-looking thing around her waist to revel a bit of her back._

_"Oh…so that's how it comes off…"_

"…and I cannot wait to try some of the local brews. I still can't believe you got T'Pol to come on shore leave with us…" Trip stopped in mid-sentence as he began to notice Jonathan looked a little distracted. "Jonathan…are you even listening?"

Jon snapped out of his thought with a start. "What-Oh, I'm sorry, T'P-er, Trip."

Trip gave his friend a curious stare. "Sir, you just called me T'Pol. Somethin' is the matter."

" I was just…a little distracted about something we said on the bridge this morning, is all." Archer hoped that would suffice for Trip, but knowing him, he'd wait till they were having dinner on _Enterprise_ to bring it up _in front of her_.

"Uh-huh."

T'Pol walked into the Shuttlebay at that moment. She had on something _way_ different from her usual catsuit. Archer looked in amazement at how the green sweater brought out the highlights in her hair. The fur-fringed boots made her look smaller that she really was but still…well, cute. Trip looked over at T'Pol then Jonathan and noticed how Jon was looking at her. Or more accurately, staring like she was Miss America.

Porthos, the captain's beagle, jumped up on Trip.

"Hey, Boy, get down!"

As he pushed him off his leg, he noticed that Porthos was sniffing at his right pocket. He reached in to find a pepperoni stick in it. "Oh, you want this, don't you boy?" Then, another thought came into his head. The dog was on a retractable leash…and T'Pol was walking this way. Trip suddenly got an idea.

T'Pol barely acknowledged Trip as she stood next to Archer with a PADD in hand. The beagle stood on the right of Jon. Well, he'd have to circle around rather close, but it could be done…

Archer, amazed by how differently she looked had no idea what Trip was doing, or why Porthos was moving around so much.

"T'Pol, you look so…um, I hope you don't find offence with me saying this, but you look stunning."

She was not accustomed to flattery of that sort, so she said nothing to acknowledge it. Not that she didn't enjoy the compliment; it was just unusual to receive them. Instead she handed the PADD to Archer.

"Ensign Sato was able to pull this up at about 1200 hours. This planet is known as Jyora. It is the third of a six planet system and is known to its inhabitants as more of a resort planet than one of permanent residence."

Archer looked over the PADD, not noticing Porthos's leash had wrapped in a circle around him and T'Pol. _Perfect,_ Tucker thought. He pulled out the pepperoni and held it just out of the beagle's reach.

"T'Pol, perhaps you'd like to keep me company for the next six days." He tried not to blush when he said that. "It's just that I really don't want to spend the _whole_ six days alone, and you haven't been on shore leave before, so you don't know what to except-"

"I would enjoy that, Captain." For some reason, she had the urge to smile at that. She did not, of course, but T'Pol found this most unusual. That conversation she had had with Doctor Phlox left her a little unsettled, and emotions were harder to suppress. She did not love her commanding officer, even if she did find his smile pleasing to watch. "However," She continued, "I would think you would want to spend your vacation with Commander Tucker."

Archer rubbed his neck. "Um…well, Trip has other plans. He's pretty active, and, um…you may need someone around for extra protection, and…well, yeah."

 _Oh, gee!_ Tucker thought. _You couldn't be more obvious that you liked her. I cannot believe this! It's just funny!_

He placed a hand on her shoulder, making sure not to leave it there too long. "One more thing. For the rest of this trip, I want you to call me Jonathan. You're the first officer and as such, you—whoa!"

Archer was interrupted by Porthos running off very quickly. He tried to pull the leash, but had not noticed it had wrapped around their legs twice: it only pulled them in closer. T'Pol let out a gasp for air as she felt herself lose balance suddenly as the tension of the leash pulled her in close to Captain Archer. Her weight caused him to lose his balance and tumble over on his back, breaking her fall. As soon as he landed, his hands went around T'Pol's back. Her hands landed on his shoulders. He couldn't help but look in her eyes and for a moment he thought she looked a little surprised, even embarrassed. He hoped he wasn't turning red.

He flashed back to the time on Corzon where they had been tried together and he had tried to untie their ankles. Jon had lost his balance, and tumbled to the floor, but it wasn't her face that landed next to his own that time…however, he was a much different person, and didn't enjoy that situation as much as he would now.

"Are you okay?" He said to T'Pol, who had not tried too much to escape this predicament.

"I'm fine." She replied, still catching her breath. She hadn't realized his eyes were so green.

The two of them stayed put until Trip pulled out his camera and took a picture before collapsing in laughter. He couldn't believe it worked. He also couldn't believe how funny this was! Damn, his sides hurt…

"Trip, get us out!"

"All right, I'm coming." He helped T'Pol and Jonathan get up. Jon went to pick up Porthos.

"You are a naughty boy, Porthos." The pepperoni he had fell out his mouth. "How'd you get that? Is that what you were running after?" Archer picked it up and let Porthos have the rest, curious as to where he had gotten it. The only other person in the shuttle bay was Trip…

"You two kids should save that for the honeymoon!" The aforesaid Engineer quipped. "Luckily, the planet is cold, and there's lots of places to snuggle. After you, T'Pol." He gestured for her to step into the pod.

T'Pol gave him a glaring look. "Commander, I wish for you not to speak of this incident to anyone. I can order you not to say anything, but I would prefer not to. Also, Captain Archer and I will most certainly not snuggle with one another. It would break protocol."

"Aww, you're no fun." She stepped in and Trip turned his attention to Jon, who looked almost as agitated as T'Pol did. "You know, I think she _did_ look stunning in that. If fact, I'll ask her to dinner."

Archer grabbed Tucker's arm and socked him in his shoulder. "Shut up, Commander. That's an order." He practically pushed Tucker into the pod, where T'Pol was already initiating the pre-launch sequence. She moved over for Archer to finish the rest and sat in the back across from Commander Tucker, whom was in merry spirits for shore leave.

Archer hoped Trip knew better than to further agitate the driver.

***

"Hoshi, do you think we can take a break from sight seeing long enough to find a place to eat?"

It was now close to 2000 hours and Hoshi had wanted to see the village. It was quite beautiful the snow interlaced with the trees and the wooden buildings, which reminded him of when his family took him on holiday to Sweden when he was not quite ten. He had been bored then. However, keeping up with how fast Hoshi could run was enough to keep anyone busy. Her mother probably had her hands full with her when she was a wee one…

"I thought you'd never ask." As luck would have it, they were standing by a building with wide windows and a ton of others that were all seated. "Hoshi, what does that sign say above us? I don't speak Jyoran too well." _God, I sounded so stupid!_

 _He is so cute when he does that!_ She looked up at it.

"Hmm…Tavern with Ale of Mimori, I think."

"That's the literal translation, right?"

"Yeah. In Jyoran it would be 'Mimori Ly Awalo Tavel'. Reminds me a bit of Japanese."

"How so?" Reed asked as they walked into the tavern, but a hostess came to greet them both before Hoshi could reply.

"Hello," she said. "There's a seat right over there."

Hoshi strained to see any open seats. "Where?"

"That one, where the gentleman with the gray jacket is sitting." It was close to a window, and the aforesaid gentleman was seated with two others, one male, and one female.

Malcolm looked at Hoshi, not sure what to make of this. The hostess saw they were uncomfortable with this and figured they had never been to Jyora before.

"It is customary in Jyoran restaurants to be seated with people you may not know. It is a good way to make friends." She smiled again.

"Well, I wouldn't want to go against custom. In England, there are many customs to observe." The hostess led the way to the seat they were assigned to and handed them their menus. Malcolm felt a little nervous, as he always did around new people. His eyes darted back between Hoshi and the woman sitting on his left, who was quite attractive.

Hoshi started things up between them by speaking in Jyora. "Hi, my name is Hoshi Sato, and this is my lover Malcolm Reed. We're both here on vacation." She extended a hand to them and nudged Reed to do the same. She was smiling for the fact that she just confessed her feelings about Malcolm, and he had no clue what she just said.

In Jyoran, the man with the gray sweater spoke. "Did you turn on the translator, Codis?"

Codis, the other man, reached for his pocket and switched it on, then spoke in English. "There, all set. This should help to make things easier for us. I am Codis and this is my friend Kira-the man with the gray jacket-and Jalli" Jalli nodded towards Reed's direction.

"You're new to here, aren't you, Malcolm?" Jalli asked. He nodded. "Well, I say we buy the nice people a meal. What about you?"

Codis smiled "That's a great idea! I supposed we a can spare some money for a few rounds of drinks too!" The three Jyorans cheered this.

"Um, that's all right-"

Hoshi nudged him. "Malcolm, it's not polite to refuse a dinner. Besides, I'm sure they can read the menu better than I can."

"Of course, Hoshi. My apologies. And thank you. How can I-"

"Return the favor? Don't mention it! You seem like a nice couple and you couldn't have picked a better time to visit this planet."

As they ate dinner, Reed and Sato learned that they had come around the time of the Festivals of the Moons, or _Lunis Faveli_ as it was known to locals. Although the festival itself was not till their last day (or rather the last night) of shore leave, there were many activities in the week leading up to it.

"One of our traditions is on the third day people throw colored powder around in the street. You'll have six different colors on you just by going down into the main." Codis grabbed Jalli. "That's how we met, five seasons ago."

Hoshi smiled. "How sweet."

Kira continued. "This is one of the more romantic holidays our people observe. I met Jalli on the fifth day of Lunis Faveli about eight seasons ago, and we were married the next day."

Reed's eyes grew wide. "That's rushing it a bit, don't you think?"

Jalli laughed.

"Not at all. In fact, an engagement usually never last more than a month. Why, I married Codis here within the day I met him!"

"So," Malcolm asked, "You're married to both Codis _and_ Kira?"

She nodded. "In fact all the women I know have more than one spouse."

Hoshi put on an usually wide smile. Malcolm wondered where Phlox was, and how much he would enjoy these people. Sato glanced at her portable chronometer.

"Oh, gee, it's pretty late and my friend and I haven't found any lodging yet."

"It's late? Oh….I suppose it is. We really have to go." He stood up, and grabbed their bags. "I don't suppose you know anywhere Hoshi and I can get to by foot that's nearby, do you?"

Jalli pulled out a piece of paper and pen and wrote something down on it. She handed it to Hoshi

"This is address of the nearest lodge. It's only ten minutes away, and it's right on the lake. You can't miss it."

"It was a pleasure to meet you," Codis added.

"I concur," Kira said.

"The pleasure was all our," Reed told them before they walked towards the door. He was never more glad to end a dinner. Jalli turned to her two husbands.

"What a loving couple," she said.

***

Jon and T'Pol were having little luck with finding lodging. The first two places they had come across were booked full, as a lot of visitors were there for some moon festival of some sort, which he asked T'Pol about.

"I only know as much as Ensign Sato knows. She is the one who got the information for me."

"I suppose, T'Pol." She looked a little cold, despite her jacket. "Are you warm enough?"

She glanced at him, giving eye contact for a brief two seconds before turning her eyes straight away.

"Vulcans aren't used to such extremes in cold temperatures, but it is not unbearable. However, it would be best if we were to find lodging and soon."

"I won't argue with you there." He would like nothing more than to hold her in his arms, to keep her warm. Trip might laugh about it if he heard about that, but he wouldn't care. He also knew he mustn't think thoughts like that.

"Captain-"

"T'Pol, I asked you earlier to call me Jonathan for this week."

She wasn't comfortable with it, but if he wanted it, she was obligated to do so. She pointed to a lake, and the row of lodging which lined its edge.

"Some places to stay?"

"It would seem so." T'Pol looked at her feet, where Porthos had decided to lay down on.

Archer looked at the pooped pooch. "We had better get there soon. I guess I'll have to carry him the rest of the way."

"Do not worry. I'll carry your dog. It seems a bit fond of me." She bent over and picked up the beagle, who stirred and tried to give her a lick which T'Pol quickly rebuked by pushing his face away... Archer smiled for some reason at this. He picked up her bag and they walked in silence to the first lodge they came to. It was pretty sizable in comparison to the other buildings they had seen in the village-it was about five stories high, so perhaps they'd have luck here.

Jonathan walked up to the front desk while T'Pol held Porthos. She had propped his head up over her shoulder, almost like she would hold a baby.

 _Wait a minute, Jon? Where did_ that _thought come from?_ He focused his attention on the male attendant who was at the desk.

"Excuse me, sir. Do you have any more rooms empty?"

"How many do you require?"

"Two, please."

The attendant turned to his computer. A beep was heard. "Oh, I'm sorry, there's only one vacancy here, and at this time of year even that's unusual. I highly doubt there's another open vacancy within twenty minutes of here." He turned to the computer again. "This one has a great view."

He glanced over at T'Pol. She seemed very tired, which was very unusual for her, as Vulcans were known to go weeks without sleep. Then, there was Porthos. Poor kids, he thought. Well, they could stay here for now, and look around tomorrow.

"I'll take it." The attendant gave him the key and the directions to the room, which was down on the lobby floor. He walked up to T'Pol. "Hey, there's one room available that's on this floor. Come on."

She nodded very slightly as she sleepily followed Jonathan to the room.

"I hope this will be a temporary arrangement. I know your nose is pretty sensitive."

"I have learned to tolerate it, Jonathan." T'Pol struggled to say his name. It came off her tongue easily in her dreams lately-as did her clothing.

While Archer and T'Pol were fortunate to find a room at all, they had not anticipated…the arrangement.

As soon as Jonathan flipped on the lights, T'Pol began to look over the room. As a scientist, she was naturally observant, so it was in her nature to take note of her surroundings. There was a glass door, which led to a porch, a sofa by the left wall…and a queen size bed to the right. Might I add 'twas the only bed in the room.

Suddenly, T'Pol's mind went back to three weeks ago to the dream where she was in Jon's bed with him and realized they were going to be here, _together_ , for _six whole days_. This would require a lot of meditation.

Jon soon came to the same realization. He looked at T'Pol, who still had the sleeping Porthos in her hands, and _knew_ he could not do it. If she was just his science officer, and not the woman who was in his dreams just about every night, he could perhaps be more comfortable with the idea. Unfortunately, he had a bit of a tendency to talk in his sleep. God knows what he may say. To top it off, T'Pol was a pretty light sleeper, as were most Vulcans.

T'Pol reached for her bag to grab her pajamas. Jonathan could see the material was very silky and stopped himself from getting any images. Instead, he'd make himself productive and get more blankets.

"I'll just go back to the lobby to get some more, um, covers…in case you need them, or, um…something." He ran his back into the doorframe in nervousness. She said nothing as she went into the bathroom to change.

While Archer was gone and she had finished changing into her sleepwear, T'Pol pulled out her candles and began her meditation….

_Her mind went to her first dream about Archer, the one in which they were in his quarters in his bed. One slight difference was the fact that he had an arm around her waist and her face was nearer to his._

_He opened his pleasing green eyes. "Good morning, T'Pol."_

_She felt his hand reach for her chin and bring her lips closer to his till they touched. The same flushed feeling she had experienced on the bridge that morning came back three times stronger while Jonathan placed his other arm around her. Surprisingly, she was making no attempt to end this most illogical action._

_Then there was the feeling of comfort around Jonathan she was sensing from this. T'Pol had learned over the two years she'd served on_ Enterprise _to trust his judgement. However, this felt like a comfort one would have with a mate._

She opened her eyes as Jonathan walked back in. Her breath felt irregular and labored, and she hoped Captain Archer wouldn't ask her about it.

Jon saw the candles on the floor and T'Pol sitting around them. Her back was turned, so he didn't see how surprised she looked. He did see how her whole midsection was exposed in her sleepwear, and wondered if that was even appropriate for the weather around here.

"Oh…um, I'm sorry, I'll just come back…"

"That won't be necessary, Cap…Jonathan. I was finishing." T'Pol blew out the candles, knowing it was futile to continue this exercise. He nodded and handed her some mechanical device.

"This is a pamphlet of Jyoran customs and festivals, such as the one which apparently we're in. it's all audio. Could you run it though the UT?" The UT was in T'Pol's open bag, and sat at the top of her belongings.

"Yes." She reached for the UT just as Archer grabbed it. Their hands touched for a brief second and T'Pol moved her eyes on something else other than him. She grabbed it and the pamphlet and set it up to listen.

An hour later, and neither party had moved to use the bed (But Porthos didn't mind; he had made a home for himself on the pillows). Archer watched T'Pol look out of the glass door. It was obvious even to him she was trying to stay awake.

"T'Pol, you going to sleep anytime soon?"

The Vulcan was looking out the large glass door at the scenery, which included a short walk to the lake's shoreline, which was frozen over and covered with snow. She didn't even want to think about sleeping, especially with Jonathan so near.

"T'Pol?"

"No."

"You look tired. Go to sleep." She turned to see him nudge his head towards the bed and fought hard to suppress the memory of that dream.

"Forgive me... _Jonathan_ "-The name came in an after thought-"but I would not be comfortable sharing a sleeping arrangement with a superior officer. It would cause problems."

He held his hands up. "That's why I'm taking the couch."

"You need your sleep more than I. You take it."

"The hell I do," Archer remarked. "You seem a little extra tired."

"I haven't been sleeping well lately."

"May I ask why?"

"You may not," she replied sharply. Archer didn't push it, knowing T'Pol would tell him once she felt comfortable with it.

"Well, if you need any extra blankets, they'll be in the closet." He lay down on the sofa, wishing there was a television set to help him sleep. "Good night, T'Pol."

She finally slipped into bed, and Archer couldn't help but notice how much those shorts rode up when she stepped into it. Porthos moved down to the foot of the bed, even though T'Pol was not using that side of the bed. She turned over on her right side, as she was accustomed to sleeping on that position. "Good night, Jonathan."

He thought of something else.

"Um…do you know what you want to do tomorrow on your first official day of shore leave?"

She raised an eyebrow. "I would like to view the surrounding area around our room. There is a trail that is visible from outside the glass door. It is a logical start."

"All right then," Jon responded, shifting onto his back. "Well, good night, then."

A few hours later, he woke up and the first place his eyes landed on was the bed and T'Pol. She was saying something in her sleep in Vulcan, but from the way it sounded, it was probably pleasant. He closed his eyes again, and fell back to sleep.

***

Trip Tucker had on his best suit in spite of the snowy weather and was standing outside of the village's most popular club. He saw many an unattached female around here, and the atmosphere seemed very loose. His luck with women on shore leave was about to change tonight.

"It's showtime," Trip said to himself. "Jon doesn't know what he's missing." Oh well, more women for him…


	4. A Little Night Dancing

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Trip goes into a bar expecting to get the attention of some ladies. Well, he succeeded…

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is...a bit of a no-sequitir I wrote in large part because I fwlt back for leaving Mayweather out of the action entirely. Poor guy was so horribly written in this show. I considered taking this out of the updated version entirely, to be quite honest.
> 
> There's one slight reference to the events in this chapter, but it's easily skipped.

Trip was surprised at how fast the line moved to get in. He wasn't about to complaint, however; the temperature was slightly under zero centigrade and he was happy to get some shelter. He had found it hard to find lodging what with the moon festival and all, but now since that was taken care of, he was free to explore the villa and its women.

As soon as he went in, he went to the bar counter. In his experience, it was the best place to see all the goings-on in the club…get to see who was available and which men to avoid-in other words, the guys who were twice his size and could hold their liquor better than he.

Trip took a seat next to a gentleman who was wide set and had his back turned to him. The man took no notice when he sat down, and it didn't bother Trip when the cute bartender came by to ask if he'd like something.

"Well, what have you got? I'm new to this place." He gave her his smile, which she returned.

"I'll get something especially for _you_." She tapped his nose and walked off.

He turned to the dance floor, and said to himself, "Well, this is my type of shore leave."

The man next to him responded in a familiar voice. "I agree, Commander."

Trip turned around to see he had been sitting next to Phlox the whole time.

"Well! It really _is_ a small world!"

"And I find it fascinating!" He grinned. "Why, their culture is highly matriarchal. In fact, they accept polygamy in the form that women may take as many husbands as they please."

Trip leaned over in shock. "You serious?"

"Sure! They also believe that extra-marital relations can help to keep things lively in a marriage. In fact, the women encourage it, so the men can continue to please them in bed." Phlox chuckled at the thought of the Denobulan mating season and how everyone acted quite loosely at that time. Trip's eyes grew wide.

"Then why the hell do they get married?!"

Before Phlox could answer, the waitress brought his drink to him. He took one sip, and could feel the alcohol beginning to make him dizzy. "I should probably take a cue from the Cap'n an' be more cautious 'bout what I drink on shore leave. You wanna try?" He handed the drink to Phlox, who grabbed another straw and sucked up three gulps that took half the contents of the glass with it.

Phlox didn't realized he had drank that much until he saw Trip looking at him in shock. "Oops-sorry, Commander. There isn't much alcohol on my home world, and I do enjoy the chance to try some."

"Doc, you don't even know how it will affect you!"

The alcohol, which had already given Trip a headache, was making Phlox a bit of a loose-lipped person. He began to sway a bit.

"Nonsense, Trip! I'm fine!" *Hic*

Travis Mayweather walked in just then. He didn't know his way around too well, and he needed to get out of the cold. It was only when he was inside that he realized it was a club. He saw Trip and Phlox there and went up to join them.

"Hey, Doctor, Commander." Even Travis could see the doctor was intoxicated. His grin was really wide as he pulled them in close.

"Wanna learn a secret?" He giggled. Travis just shrugged. "T'Pol…likes…Jon!"

Mayweather laughed at this. He knew Phlox was drunk now. Tucker eyed him.

"Phlox, I'm takin' you to my hotel." He tried to pull Phlox off his stool, but he refused to move.

"No, no! Not 'till you hear about how I know!"

Well, Trip was kinda curious.

"You see, 'Polly came into my office and thought she was sick, you know, feeling a little flushed around Captain Archer. Then she told me 'bout her dreams and I figured it out! It's really, really funny!" He began to laugh at this thought. "And you know, Jon likes her back!"

Travis took a step back. "Doctor, you know Captain Archer hates Vulcans. He couldn't even tolerate T'Pol till just a few months ago."

But Trip knew Phlox wasn't completely off base when it came to Jon liking T'Pol. It was still fun to think about them getting tangled up in Porthos's leash. And Trip, being a little drunk himself, told Phlox about his gag. Travis just looked on, not knowing what to make of all this.

"Excuse me."

The men turned their attention to a short, petite woman in a short skirt.

"Trip gave her his sly grin. "What can I do for you, miss?" The woman came up closer to him. Travis smiled.

"You and your friend"-she pointed to Travis-"are two of the most attractive men in this bar."

"Well, thank you!" Mayweather piped.

"I was hoping you could do me a favor." She rubbed her leg against Tucker's. Phlox smiled and walked away, knowing when he wasn't needed. "I want some sexy, gorgeous men to take off their clothes for all those women over there. The men I hired to do it haven't shown yet, and they're a rowdy crowd. I think you'll enjoy yourself very much." She put her mouth close to his and Trip turned a little red.

"Ah…well, I've never, um…have done this sort of thing, er, before, and um…"

The woman pulled him closer. "They'll all want to thank you."

"Well," He grinned even wider, if it were even possible, "how can I say no to such a charming, pretty face?"

"You did to the Subcommander many times," Mayweather commented under his breath. Trip gave him one glaring look, then looked back at his admirer, who began to lead him to the changing room.

"Hey, um…"

She told him her name.

"Right-My friend Travis would love to help…" He looked back to see Travis already heading away from the bar. She merely giggled and pulled him along.

 _Oh, God. Heaven help me,_ he thought.

Trip looked out at the pole. He tugged at his costume, which left absolutely NOTHING to the imagination. Well, Phlox did say this was a matriarchal society.

"Don't be worried," she told him. "You just let the music move you. And here." She handed him a cup with a pink fluid in it. "This will help your nerves." She practically pushed the drink down into his mouth before giving him a shove onto the stage. Trip looked nervously at the crowd, and remembered why he wasn't much of a theatre person. Crowds scared him.

This fear diminished a little as he heard the music, a techno-rock beat with an odd sort of melody, began to play. He imaged himself back in San Francisco. He went clubbing almost every weekend there. What did those women do? Trip began to grind his neither regions up on the pole, and heard the crowd erupt in cheers. Ok, he was doing something right. He then added a little dance and began to move around in a circle and after a while, began to swing from the pole and made one woman sigh.

He began to enjoy this erotic dance. _Why didn't I do this for a career?_ He wondered. The drink his friend had given him before he went up there was starting to take effect on him. His mind wondered onto things he'd never think about while not drugged up, including the fact that Hoshi's birthday was in a month, and he could dance for her. Or maybe, put on a strip show for T'Pol. _I bet she'd enjoyed that. She hasn't had any in a while, why wouldn't she want to see this?_ Trip Tucker was far-gone.

Travis watched as Trip got off stage and went with the mysterious woman. He followed them as they walked arm in arm to her hotel. No, he didn't go in, but he took a mental picture and reminded himself to return here in the morning and explain to Mr. Tucker about his nighttime fun.

***

"How the hell did I get here?" Trip said to himself the next morning. He found he was in a foreign bed and had no clue where in hell he was. The last thing Trip remembered was that he was doing some sort of erotic dancing. He looked over and saw the woman that had talked him into doing it. She soon woke up and placed a hand on his face.

"Mmm…Charles," She tried to bring him into a kiss, but Trip pulled away.

"Um, what happened?"

"You and I made love last night, Charles."

"I know that! Just…how?!" He was bewildered. Absolutely bewildered. She laughed.

"The drink I gave you made us attracted to one another. You couldn't keep your hands off of me. Of course, neither could I. We came here to my room, and I'm sure you know the rest."

Trip scratched his head, wondering why she knew what his real name was. "I really wish I could remember. I mean, I am sure it was good and all." He looked around for his clothing and began to get dressed. "I really need to get going. I made a breakfast date with a friend and I am, um…already late." Boy, T'Pol would have had a field day if she knew about his latest adventure. At least he knew he wouldn't come back to _Enterprise_ pregnant-this time.

He hoped.

"Good-bye, then. Perhaps you'll return next season?"

Tucker shook his head and dashed out the door.

 _Damnit! Why does this crap always happen with_ ME?! _For once, could I have a normal shore leave, where I get a little action and actually REMEMBER it?!_ He stopped in the lobby at the sight of Travis Mayweather.

"Did you have a good night, Trip?" the eager ensign asked.

"Let's go find something to eat, Travis. I'd rather not remember this. Or actually, I wish I could remember a thing."

Travis shook his head with a smile. "All right. There's a great place I know of. It's not even that far from here. Come on, I'll show ya. I'll even by you a drink…"

Trip stopped him. "No drinks. Of ANY sort. Not even water."

The two men walked by the lake, which was about a hundred feet below them. Trip thought he saw Jonathan and T'Pol taking a walk very close together, but he figured he he wasn't about to be sober any time soon. He pushed it out of him mind, and after filling his belly with a decent meal, he was ready to go to the next club.

 

 


	5. Swimming Lesson

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Archer teaches T’Pol how to swim.

_0320 hrs…_

T’Pol woke up with a start. She had had yet another dream about herself and Captain Archer. This time, it had felt much more intense in nature.

_The two of them were in her quarters. Her candles were all lit and she was in her sleeping attire. She was kneeling by the window and Captain Archer was behind her, his hands squarely on her shoulder. She felt him breathing by her face._

” _Captain, you shouldn’t be here. We shouldn’t do this.”_

” _I want to and you want to, T’Pol. Why shouldn’t we do this?” He traced the outline of her neck with his finger. She knew this was inappropriate, but yet T’Pol had done nothing to end this._

” _Jonathan.” She was barely able to get the word out._

_Jonathan began to kiss her at the nape of her neck. He had no idea how invigorating T’Pol found this to be, even if she didn’t show it. T’Pol was only slimly aware this might leave a very visible mark in the morning, but found she didn’t mind. She’d worry about an explanation later._

As soon as she woke up, her eyes went directly to Captain Archer’s direction. He was still asleep on the sofa, and hadn’t heard her wake up. She then realized why the dream was so intense as it was. His scent was in the room. _He_ was in the room with her. T’Pol went out to the glass door, from where she could see the sun rising and opened it, letting some of the breeze come in. Her mind cleared slightly from it.

This arrangement would not work. She’d never get a decent night’s sleep with these thoughts.

T’Pol got dressed and wrote a note to Archer, which she left on the coffee table. As she walked out the door, Porthos lifted his head to take a look at her, hoping she’d bring back some food for him.

***

_A few hours later…_

Jon’s eyes were not accustomed to the bright light from the sun that morning after being in space for so long. They adjusted, though, and he got up.

“T’Pol? You here?” No answer.  Jon looked around and found a note on the coffee table with his name on it. He picked it up and read it:

_I’ve gone out to get breakfast and to find some recreational activities you might enjoy-T’Pol._

“She’ll probably be gone for awhile,” he said to Porthos, who was very much alert and refreshed after a good night’s sleep.

He took this time to take his shower, and at the middle of it realized he had no towel and no change of clothing, so he had to walk out completely nude to where his duffel bag was to get a new pair of clothing and a towel. As he did this, another thought came to mind-where was the key to the room? Did T’Pol take it with her?

Just as he thought this, he heard the doorknob rattle and come open and she stepped in.

And there he was in the middle of the room without anything on.

 _And_ he was wet.

T’Pol had most certainly not expected to see her captain in the buff upon her return and the sight took her by surprise. She raised both eyebrows as she gave a quick look at him and his exceptionally large…size. Then her Vulcan decorum kicked back in and she promptly turned around and shut the door to allow him to dress with dignity. She felt foolish for thinking about Captain Archer that way.

Jonathan stood in the middle of the room motionless. He was s shocked he didn’t think to use the towel he was holding to cover himself. As soon as T’Pol turned her back to her, his turned around too.

“I apologize for that, Jonathan.” Her cheeks went green, but as her back was turned to him, he did not notice. Even so, he was busy with gathering his clothes and his towel.

“No need, T’Pol…I should have, er-been more careful and, um…locked up…everything.” He threw on his sweater over his still very damp head. “All right, I’m dressed.”

She turned around and placed breakfast on the coffee table. “This is a local favorite of the Jyorans. I was also able to find out about some of the activities around this region. One of them includes a local swimming area. I notice you are fond of swimming.” The two of them sat down on the sofa and Archer reached for his bowl.

He quickly got excited at the thought of this, but remembered asking her what she wanted to do last night. “What about the trail around the lake? I thought you wanted to see that.”

“The trail will still be here tomorrow.” A well-relaxed captain made for a more efficient crew and good morale. She wanted him to be happy.

“And so will the game. Let’s go do what you want to do.”

“Jonathan--”

He turned to her. “T’Pol, I won’t be happy if I didn’t let you do what you wanted first. I’ve been on lots of shore leaves and you haven’t been on one. Make the most of it.”

She saw it in his eyes…that determination. There was no changing his mind when he made it up. T’Pol found it very difficult not to look into his eyes when he was like this. She found it just as difficult to argue with him as well.

“Very well, then. When shall we leave?”

***

Twenty minutes later, they were out. T’Pol found that the temperature was a bit warmer than last night, which made the snow more pleasing. Captain Archer seemed to enjoy the walk around the lake.

“Are there any lakes on Vulcan?” He asked her.

“There is no surface water on Vulcan. It seldom rains and it has never snowed on Vulcan to my knowledge.”

“It’s beautiful,” Jon added, not talking about the snow entirely. “But I’m sure you don’t agree.”

“On the contrary. I do think it is aesthetically pleasing.”

It was a wonder to her, the human race. Of all their experiences on _Enterprise_ , T’Pol had seen most of the things the humans called phenomenal- M-class planets, large comets, and items of that nature. Yet, through Jonathan’s eyes, it was a new experience again. She had tried to advise Captain Archer to be more cautious in exploration three weeks into their mission, but he had told her he didn’t want the probes to have all the fun. It was not a logical decision on Captain Archer’s behalf.

Over the past two years, four months three weeks and six days, she had seen his compassion extend to other cultures, giving resources to people he did not know and defending her. T’Pol was quite aware of the fact Captain Archer had not wanted to keep her around as a science officer. He was quite prejudiced against her people due to the fact that his father never got to see his engine fly. Jon blamed the Vulcans for not trusting in him and keeping them down, and over time T’Pol began to see he was right.

And he began to see she was not one of those types of Vulcans.

“T’Pol-feel this.”

T’Pol stood there as he placed a hand in the water. The lake was actually a hot spring, which Archer noticed from the steam rising up from the water.

“Come on, it’s fine.”

“Jonathan…I am uncomfortable around water.”

A confused look came across Archer’s face.

“Seeing as I lived on a planet with no surface water, there was no need to know how to swim.”

He nodded, but he was still a little surprised. “Well, that’s logical if you were still on Vulcan. We’re in space and we come across a lot of new surroundings. What if we were to find ourselves in a situation where you had to swim?”

“Hopefully, that will not be the case. Let us continue.” She began to walk away.

“T’Pol, wait. Now, where was that swimming area you told me about?”

***

“The village looks so much better in the light,” Hoshi commented.  Malcolm nodded. The streets were decorated in vivid colors for the moon festival, as was al the snow. There certainly was a lot of it. “Malcolm, let’s make a snowman.”

“Hoshi?”

“Come on, let’s find a place that’s a little out of the way and make a snowman! That will be fun.”

“I don’t know.”

“It’ll be fun.” She grabbed his arm and batted her eyes. Reed gave in.

***

Jonathan waited by the edge of the water for T’Pol to come out from changing. She had been in there a while, and he wanted to start. He hadn’t been swimming in a long while. As he was thinking about this, a Jyoran male who had seen the both of them arrive came and sat down next to him. Jonathan looked at this Jyoran, who was about ten centimeters shorter than him and about thirty pounds heavier. He looked to be middle aged.

“That’s quite a girl you have there,” the Jyoran grinned.

He blinked twice. “What girl?”

“The one you’re waiting for. I think she’s rather pretty.”

Jon nodded in realization.

“Oh, you got it wrong,” Archer laughed. “We serve together on a ship called _Enterprise_. I’m the Captain and T’Pol is my science officer. We’re just good friends, that’s all.”

The Jyoran placed a hand on Archer’s shoulder. “You wish it were more, though. I saw it in your eyes whenever you looked at her. I can certainly understand why, though.”

“You don’t know anything,” Jonathan said to him, but couldn’t hide the fact that his cheeks were turning red. “She’s just a friend.”

“All right then, if you say so, Captain. Can I ask her to dinner tonight?”

Jonathan wanted to deck the man for that and probably would have, but the dressing room door opened and T’Pol stepped out and looked him straight in the eye. Jon’s eyes widened at the sight of her in a bathing suit that was quite low cut from behind. It wasn’t a two-piece, but it was still very, very sexy.

“Just friends, huh?” The Jyoran whispered as he saw Archer’s expression change. “I’ll leave you two alone now.” He walked off in the opposite direction and T’Pol came up to him.

“May I ask who your friend was, Jonathan?”

Jonathan shrugged. “He was just a peddler. Enough of him. Let’s get in.” He stepped into the water while T’Pol watched him. The water looked deep to her and she wasn’t sure if she wanted to continue. However, she knew Jonathan would be disappointed if she backed out of this. T’Pol took a very firm grip onto his hand as she leapt into the pool with none of the Vulcan grace Jonathan was use to seeing. As soon as she got in, she wrapped her arms around his neck, nearly cutting off his air supply.

“T’Pol, you can stand in the water. It’s only about a meter and a quarter deep.” While he did enjoy the position, he also didn’t want to be choked to death. “I won’t let you drown, I promise.”

She let go and moved out a few inches, but she kept a grip on Archer’s hand. “You were correct, Jonathan.”

“See? I told you so.”

T’Pol found that feverish feeling she felt on the bridge the day before come back as he said this. She averted her eyes away from his and the feeling left...for the most part. Jonathan placed a hand on her stomach and the other on her back.

“Now, I’ll show you the front stroke.” She let him lift her feet off the bottom of the pool and hold her in a horizontal position. Jonathan realized his hand was a little close to her bosom, but pushed that dirty thought out of his mind. “Just extend your arms out, one then the other. That’s right, like that. Now do the same motion with your legs... That should keep you up for a while. I think you can try this on your own.”

She wasn’t sure if he should let her try this on her own just yet. She felt she needed more guidance, but she trusted Jonathan’s judgment, something she would not have done two years ago. With a little push of her own two feet, T’Pol began to front stroke about twenty yards to Archer, who was on the other side of the pool. The water was a bit deeper there, but Jonathan was very tall and more partial to water, so he didn’t notice. T’Pol, being a whole head shorter, did notice, and as soon as she was within Jonathan’s reach tried to place her feet on the ground, but found the water came up to her chin, and this was more than a little uncomfortable and began to splash around in the water in an attempt to keep herself afloat.

“Jonathan!” She yelled.

Archer quickly grabbed her and pulled her up out the water by her waist. Her arms went around his neck again with that firm grip as Jon pressed her closer to him.

“I’m so sorry, T'Pol. I should have warned you about the change of depth. Don’t be scared.” How could he have been so stupid to forgot about warning her on the changing depth?!

“I am not scared,” she replied, but it was more than obvious she was.

“Come on, let’s go back to the other side.” He carried her to the other part of the pool. T’Pol had thought it would have occurred to Jonathan that she could have walked the last ten meters, but he gave no indication of letting go of her. She wasn’t about to complain. She could not swim, and Jonathan could. It was much safer to stay where she was-in his arms.

Especially with the reoccurring fever she was getting when in his presence.

"There's another stroking pattern that is used," he informed her. "It's called the backstroke, and you have to float on your back." Jonathan had not let go of her yet.

T'Pol pushed off of him to face him.

"It's not as bad as you may think. Here."

He turned her over on her back, with one hand on her shoulder blades and the other by her thighs. From that vantage point he could see that her swimsuit was VERY low cut up top and was quite reveling. He caught himself staring at her chest and moved his eyes to meet hers. Jon wasn't sure whether T'Pol had noticed the way he looked at her just then, as she said nothing.

"Well, this is much like the front stroke, only instead of stroking in front of your face, you stroke overhead."

"And the kicks?"

"Exactly the same."

Jonathan watched how graceful she looked when she stretched out her arms and relaxed her head a little. Her eyes were closed while doing this. T’Pol knew Jonathan wouldn’t let anything happen to her.

“Hey, I think you’re go it, T’Pol. You want to try on your own?”

Pause.

“Don’t worry,” he smiled. “I’ll be right beside you.”

She blinked once-slowly-and she pushed out a little and began her backstroke. Jonathan watched her, grinning for the fact that he had taught T’Pol a new skill and also for how tight fitting that suit really was. When she had reached the edge of the pool, T’Pol grabbed on to it and Jonathan swam over.

“You did great. Now, take my hand.” He extended his hand out and T’Pol reached for it. Her hand was so much smaller and slimmer than his, Archer noted.  She looked at him, waiting for what he’d show her next.

“We’re gonna go under the water.”

T’Pol raised an eyebrow and turned as pale as Archer had ever seen her.

“It’s very useful to know how to swim underwater,” he answered her silent question. “You may find yourself in that situation. As the Boy Scout motto goes, ‘Be prepared.’”

“That is a wise motto,” T’Pol answered.

“When you go underwater, remember to take a deep breath and keep your eyes closed unless you have goggles on. The water might irritate them.”

“Swimming with one’s eyes closed sounds a bit foolish and dangerous.”

“Sometimes, the best things in life you can’t see. They’re called surprises. Now, let’s go under on three. One...two…” Archer went under the water and T’Pol followed, her hand still in Jonathan’s. She felt her heart beating more rapidly as she had her eyes closed _and_ was under water for the first time. The only thing she knew was that Jonathan was to her left. She let go of her breath.

Jonathan opened his eyes and saw this. He pushed T’Pol up to the surface by her tiny waist, which meant her stomach came up to his face when he reached the surface. Jon felt her nails digging into his shoulders, which was saying a lot since her nails weren’t very long. T’Pol felt his lips pressed up against her naval through the suit and the feeling of overheating returned along with another she couldn’t describe. She knew she had to suppress it.

“It’s okay, T’Pol. I gotcha. Are you okay?”

“I’m fine,” she replied while gasping for air.

“I suppose you don’t want to try again today?”

“No. I do wish to continue.” This experience had shown her exactly how poor her swimming skills were and Jonathan was correct in saying she did not know when she may need to use her swimming skills. Jonathan had superior skill in aquatic endeavors and from the way he had helped her today she knew she was in good hands. His hands were very gentle ones, too.

Jonathan smiled. He didn’t really want to end the lesson either, but knew if T’Pol got too uncomfortable, she’d leave anyway. “You sure about that?”

“Yes. I had never been underwater and did not know what to except.”

“You were scared.”

“Vulcans don’t get scared,” she replied, putting a slight space between her words.

Jon rolled his eyes slightly from hearing this “Vulcans don’t feel or do such-and-such” speech for about the four thousandth time.

“Of course not. Come on, take my hand again and we’ll go under again. And don’t panic this time.”

The two of them placed their heads under the water. T’Pol let Jonathan guide her through the water. When she ran out of breath, she calmly ascended to the surface, and Archer soon followed. T’Pol placed her hands on his shoulder, ignoring the fact she could have easily stood on her own. She noted that his arms seemed a lot bigger when there was water upon them.

“That was most enjoyable, Jonathan. Perhaps we should ask Starfleet to install a pool on _Enterprise_.”

 _Definitely,_ he thought. _Oh, God, she looks cute in that! Hey, why am I thinking this?! I gotta stop!_

T’Pol continued to look into those green eyes of his and watch him smile.

“T’Pol? It there something you wanted to tell me?”

Her eyes shifted to the side a little and her mouth hardened at either corner.

“No.” She pulled away from him and climbed out of the pool, and Jonathan looked at her small little bum. “We should go eat now.”

“I like the sound of that.” He followed her out of the pool and they both changed out of their swimwear.  
When he saw T’Pol back in her regular attire, he found he couldn’t think about her as his science officer right now. Jonathan knew this to be fact, but the Subcommander seemed like she belonged on _Enterprise_ and not here. _I enjoyed that swim lesson way too much,_ he thought to himself.

Likewise, T’Pol found difficulty in removing the image of a topless Captain Archer with water covering his abdominal muscles and biceps.  Why had she been thinking of her captain in this fashion? There must be something the matter with her. She had control of all her emotions and if this kept persisting, it must be an illness that Phlox’s scans could not detect. She figured it would be no good to tell him this, as it seemed his mind was set on the illogical notion she wanted more than a professional relationship from Captain Archer.

As T’Pol and Jonathan were on their way back to the village, Jonathan’s Jyoran friend came back.

“Have fun?” he asked with a grin.

“I enjoyed myself, thank you.”

The Jyoran pointed in T’Pol’s direction. “I bet it didn’t hurt your fun having _her_ around, heh heh heh.”

Jonathan rolled his eyes. Of all the times to bring that up, he has to say it in front of her. T’Pol saw the discomfort in his face and pulled on Jonathan’s arm. “Come one, Jonathan. Let’s go.” She gave the alien one look and turned away before walking off. Jonathan walked with her.

“Have fun you two,” the Jyoran called after them.

***

Hoshi and Malcolm looked at their snowman.

“Not bad,” Reed commented. He began to rub his hands though his gloves. “It’s a bit cold, though. I want to warm my hands up.”

“Aw, come on, Malcolm. Don’t you want to play in the snow some more?”

“I’d love to, Hoshi, but I-”

Malcolm didn’t finish his sentence. Hoshi had thrown a snowball at him and was now giggling like a schoolgirl. He knew what schoolgirls in Japan wore, and those skirts left little to the imagination.

“Oh, I see. I guess it’s ‘Let’s make an ass of Malcolm Reed’ day, is it?” He grinned as he grabbed a bit of snow, rounded it out and threw it right at her bum. Hoshi retaliated by throwing a snowball at his legs and ran a few feet.

“Oh, no you don’t, Ensign Sato!” he said this with a wide grin and he began to chase after her in the snow. When he got a hold of her, he tripped over a log that the snow had covered and fell on his back. He held on to Hoshi, who was facing him. Their lips brushed together for a nanosecond when Malcolm landed. Hoshi was still giggling, and soon Malcolm found himself giggling, too. They stayed there for a few minutes until Malcolm felt his bum go numb.

“We really have to do that some more,” Hoshi thought to herself.

The two of them looked very flushed at the thought of that memory.

***

_She found she was fond of the way his hair felt in her hands._

_T’Pol found herself in Jonathan’s quarters yet again, and like the other time engaging in inappropriate relations with Captain Archer. He had already disrobed and he was assisting her in removing the silken garment she was wearing. Once removed, she was completely nude. Slowly, he lowered her into his bed._

“ _We shouldn’t’…” she struggled to say._

” _That’s why it’s so fun,” Archer replied as he settled himself between her legs._

 _Jonathan had that look in his eyes. That look of determination, of when he wanted something he was going to get in. Right now, what he wanted was her, and T’Pol could not say no, especially since he had her pinned down by her wrist in_ his _bed._ _She wiggled under his weight, displeased she had lost control of herself. Jonathan just smiled at her._

” _Relax. It’ll be fun.” She found she believed him when he said this. “I’m not going to hurt you.”_

_T’Pol did relax a bit. She hadn’t known how tense she was until that moment. She closed her eyes and let Jonathan explore her with his hands._

Surprisingly, T’Pol was able to sleep the full night through for the first time in twenty-three days. It was close to 0700 hours when she woke up, and while she felt rested, she also was a little edgy from that most unusual dream.

“Hey. I see you’re finally up.”

Jonathan appeared next to her on the side of the bed. Her heartbeat increased as she imagined Archer pressing her down in his quarters. T’Pol blinked twice to cease these imaginings and promptly got up and headed to the bathroom. “I must get dress, Jonathan.”

“Are you all right?” Jonathan asked. “You seem a bit upset.”

“I am incapable of feeling upset or passionate.” T’Pol quickly turned her back to him and walked into the bathroom, where she stepped into the shower and turned it on to cold. She had heard from Mr. Tucker it helped to suppress feelings of a sexual nature. It was worth a try, considering meditation hadn’t helped.

Meanwhile, Jonathan stood outside, wondering what to make of that last remark. Not feel passionate? Where had that come from? Whatever she was thinking about must have been big, or else she wouldn’t have forgotten to take a change of clothing and a towel with her for her shower. Jonathan picked up the bag and knocked on the door.

“T’Pol, you forgot your towel. I’m putting it by the door along with your bag, if you need anything else.” Jonathan waited till he saw T’Pol’s hand reach out the door for her things to get dressed himself. _Don’t want history to repeat itself,_ he thought.

He also remembered this was their second day of shore leave, and there were many night festivities tonight. Perhaps he and T’Pol could go out on the town, hopefully catch up with Trip-he hadn’t thought much about him since his prank in the Shuttlebay. He reached into his bag and pulled out his communicator.

“Archer to Tucker.” He heard the link on the other side open.

“Tucker here, sir.”

“Trip, how have you been?”

Trip though carefully before speaking. “I’ve been okay. And you?”

“Never better. How about you, me and T’Pol meet up in town tonight for dinner? There’s a lot of festivities tonight and I want to see some of it.”

“I was about to call and suggest the same thing. There’s a restaurant where the front of it is completely red. I don’t know the name of it. Can you meet me there?”

“Yeah. Is 1900 hours good for you?”

“Sounds great, Cap’n. You better go find T’Pol soon before she leaves her room.”

Archer paused. “Um…there was a situation and T’Pol and I, um...share the same room.” He heard Trip bust out in laughter on the other end of the comm. Archer scowled.

“Something funny, Commander?”

“I was just remembered something-don’t you talk in your sleep? ‘Cause I bet T’Pol would just _love_ to hear about what you dream about!”

Jonathan imagined Trip grinning on the other end of the comm and rolled his eyes and sighed.

“Grow up, Trip. Archer out.” He closed the link as T’Pol stepped out, fully dressed. “Hey, Trip called. It seems we’re eating on the town tonight.”

 


	6. Denial Isn't a River in Egypt

_The cold water did suffice_ , T’Pol thought to herself as she went to dry herself off. It had helped to suppress the emotions she experienced from the dream, which was especially difficult, since she had allowed herself to indulge in this reckless behavior.

The fact she had done this, even if only in sleep, had troubled her mind a great deal. T’Pol found that of late she was agitated easier, and mostly because of these illogical and absurd images of Captain Archer and herself engaging in intercourse for no apparent reason. She also contemplated what Doctor Phlox had told her before she left _Enterprise_ , that perhaps she had these dreams because she had been working closely with Captain Archer. Perhaps some distance from him today, even if for a few hours, may help to keep those thoughts buried and perhaps eliminate them altogether. T’Pol put on the last of her clothing and stepped out the door, where Archer informed her they were to meet Commander Tucker for dinner that evening.

“So, where are we headed off to this morning, T’Pol?” he asked with a smile on his face. _I wouldn’t mind the pool again…_ He looked at T’Pol, who returned his smile with a cold stare that was a little icy, even for her.

“I am going to take scans of some of the plant life in this area.” She began gathering a tricorder and a PADD from her bag and headed out the door before Jonathan could say anything, but he was much too quick for her.

“Well, wait up…”

“I don’t need you to accompany me. It only requires one person. This sort of activity wouldn’t interest you. I’ll return in a few hours.”

“It’s shore leave, T’Pol,” Jonathan stated. “You don’t have to work.” _Why was relaxing such a hard concept for her?_

“As I told you before, I didn’t need a shore leave. I intend to make some good use of my off time, since you insist upon giving it to me.” T’Pol began to notice she was feeling irrationally irritable. She took two more steps towards the door.

He felt his heart sink and burn with anger at the same time. Archer took the same two steps and stood right behind her. “Wait a minute! Where the hell are you going?!”

Without facing him, she respond with, “Not far. I’ll have my comm line with me if you need me.”

“That’s not the point! You don’t know your way around here!” He calmed himself down and placed a hand on her shoulder. T’Pol pulled back sharply, and Jonathan realized what he was doing. “I…apologize for that…”

T’Pol said and did nothing to acknowledge this apology. She turned away quickly, not wanting to remember her dream. “I’ll be back before dinner. Good-bye.” She walked out the door.

“Come back here!” he yelled after her, and he knew she and anyone within five meters could have heard that, but T’Pol kept walking down the corridor and towards the main exit. Archer let out a disgruntled sigh and slammed the door. He lay down on the bed and Porthos jumped up to comfort his daddy by licking him in the face.

“Hey, down you.”

He picked the beagle up and placed him on the floor. Then he placed his hands behind his head on the pillow.

Why this sudden change? T’Pol was always doing this on him. One day, she’d be your friend, the next you wouldn’t get a word out of her, not one. Lately, this bothered him a lot more than it normally did, perhaps because T’Pol had been the center of his dreams lately and he feared he may have feelings for her.

 _That was stupid, Jon. You can’t have feelings for her._ Enterprise _would reach Warp 13 before that ever happened._

He never really liked Vulcans and until T’Pol began serving with him he hadn’t thought it possible to even trust them. It hadn’t been all smooth sailing that first year but despite their differences, T’Pol never went against an order, and he felt certain she was against EVERYTHING he did that first year!

Now they were friends…or were they? He really wished he’d brought a counselor along on this mission.

And why was he acting like that with her this morning? He asked himself this question, but could come up with no answer. It’s not like he knew the area any better than she did. Perhaps it was because they where always near each other, every day, for the last nearly two and a half years. Maybe he felt some separation anxiety, that was all. Maybe he was the one who needed _her._

_Well, that’s it then, I guess. I’ve been around her so long, I can’t remember what life was like before I got to know her. And not just knowing her name and rank, but the person._

He wasn’t completely sure that he was correct. He was sure of this, though: He wasn’t, and wouldn’t be, in love with T’Pol. She was Vulcan, and a Vulcan and a Human would never happen, not in a hundred years. Sure, he was very upset to hear she may be dying, but it was just in the upset sort of way as if it were Trip or anyone else on the ship.

He remembered the time when Tolaris came on the ship…that damn bastard that had nearly ruined her career in the Vulcan High Counsel…he had taken a beating to confront him for what he did to her. It was then that he realized, at least in part, why Vulcans repressed their emotions. They weren’t very nice when angry, and Archer’s ass was sore for a week after that! It was also then that he stopped thinking of her as the babysitter and as part of his crew he had learned he couldn’t do without. What ever dreams he may have were just from the fact that he’d been without for a long time and T’Pol was the female he worked closest with, nothing more.

Porthos began to whine at the glass door and scratch at it. Jonathan pushed himself off the bed and went to the door to let Porthos relieve himself. He looked around by the lakeside and on the other side with her back turned he thought he saw T’Pol with her tricorder scanning a rather large bush. Well, he was glad she wasn’t too far away. She would be in view in case some trouble arose. He’d be there to help her if she needed it.

***

T’Pol continued to collect data on this bush, which resembled the Terran juniper bush. There was nothing unordinary about this plant. She walked away from it after three minutes and went to study a tree with pink buds. It was nearly springtime and it had just started to bloom. She reached up to examine one of its blooms, but some leaves had covered a sticky thorn in its path. T’Pol had pricked her finger. It drew blood, but she merely pulled the thorn out and continued with her work, and scanned another nearby plant.

Again, the scans showed nothing.

Realizing this was becoming a futile exercise, she put away the tricorder and checked her watch-it was 1125 hours. She then heard footsteps coming from over the hill and looked up to see Dr. Phlox walking in her direction. The Denobulan stopped when he noticed T’Pol was in his path and he smiled as he always did.

“Ah, T’Pol, it’s nice to see you. And how have you been?”

“Very well.”

“Did you sleep well last night?”

“Yes.” Her reply was very short.

“I trust that your dreams were pleasant ones, hmm?”

Silence. T’Pol pulled out her tricorder to rescan the shrub she was standing the closest to. Phlox fought the urge to laugh and went on, knowing what this silence meant.

“Oh, they’re nothing to be ashamed of, Subcommander and neither is your attraction to Captain Archer. Why, on Denobula-”

T’Pol let out a very audible sigh of exasperation.

“Doctor,” She said with a level, even tone of voice, “I am _not_ , in any way, attracted to Captain Archer. That would be foolish, since fraternization between two officers is against Starfleet regulations.”

“Well, you’re not Starfleet, nor do you take orders from the High Counsel anymore. You’re a free agent, as the humans say.”

“But Captain Archer is not. He views me as a part of his crew, and a friend, at most. Nothing more.” She continued on to scan the bush. Phlox took a seat next to her.

“Subcommander, I scanned a similar bush like that yesterday. There is nothing of interest in it.” He guided her tricorder to the ground. T’Pol reluctantly listened to Phlox, and knew the likelihood of him saying something he hadn’t already told her was slim.

“I think there are many similarities between you and him. For example, when you make up your mind about something you feel strongly about it is very hard to change it. You’re both passionate about your work. And you’re both curious.”

“Your point?” she requested, growing increasingly impatient.

“These things are what attract you to him!”

At this remark, T’Pol stared off into an unknown direction and narrowed her eyes. “I find that people gravitate towards persons that are very similar to themselves, Hmm? And it doesn’t hurt that Captain Archer has a very fine physique for a man of his age. I bet he was quite the ladies’ man when he was younger with his smile and those eyes…”

T’Pol’s mind flashed back briefly to the day before when she and Captain Archer were swimming together and she had noticed his abdomen muscles were very well defined. Of course, this thought passed as soon as it came.

“Doctor,” T’Pol cut him off before any more irrelevant thoughts could come to her, “Assuming I was ‘in love’ with Captain Archer, the possibility that he’d return those emotions are remote. I don’t think you need to be reminded about his passionate dislike of Vulcans in general.”

“I’d like to think by now that Captain Archer would know you better than that.” As he watched T’Pol begin to blush, Phlox smirked and a story which he’d be aching to tell came to mind. Sure, the captain didn’t want her to hear it, but he was certain T’Pol would keep a secret. “T’Pol, do you remember the night Tolaris attacked you?”

“Unfortunately, I do.” Her entire body tensed up and the pain she had felt broke into her voice. Phlox continued with this story very quickly.

“You never knew this, but Captain Archer was by your side the entire night while you were unconscious.”

She looked at him with curiosity. “There was no need for him to worry. I was fine.”

“Ah, but he did worry. He didn’t sleep that whole night or even leave to go to the little boys’ room. He kept reading over all the scans with me and had me triple check if was there any permanent damage. I knew from that first scan I took that you had the Pa’nar syndrome, but I was certain you didn’t want me discussing that with him without your consent.”

“Thank you, Doctor, for not telling him. It would have been more needless worry on his behalf.”

“That’s not all. By the next morning, I had to pull rank on the Captain and ask him to leave and get some rest. He disobeyed my order and called Tolaris in his ready room. I’m not sure what he said to him, but getting knocked on his posterior was involved. I’m quite sure he was defending your honor, Subcommander.”

T’Pol was quiet, not sure what to make of this. “While I will express my gratitude when I see him again, it was not a wise gesture to take on a young Vulcan male. Tolaris was a good five centimeters taller than the Captain.”

Phlox nodded. “That may be, but he did it for you and that’s the important part. Males of the human race will fight for a woman they love.”

“That match wouldn’t have been much of a fight. As I said, Tolaris was much stronger than he.”

Then another thought occurred to her as she processed the very last sentence Phlox had said.

“Are you suggesting Captain Archer is attracted to me?”

Phlox had not expected that. He tried to think of something to say.

“Well, I was just stating that some males fight for their mates, such as Vulcan males used to do before the time of Surek. It was just a fact. Do you want him to be attracted to you?” Phlox asked with a bit of a smile.

“You are out of line,” she replied coldly. “And no, I do not.”

There was silence for a few seconds as T’Pol turned away from Phlox and glanced in the direction of her room. He got his answer from her. Perhaps Captain Archer would be more open.

“By the way, do you know where Captain Archer is rooming?”

“Over in there. “ She pointed to her hotel. “First floor, fourth room to the right.”

“I guess I can go pay him a visit, then. I’m sure I’ve just been holding you up. Good bye, Subcommander.” He picked himself up and walked towards the room, but stopped. “Oh, Captain Archer didn’t want me to tell you about his fight with Tolaris, or the fact he stayed with you the whole night.” He continued on.

One thing was puzzling her: Why had Doctor Phlox waited nearly two years before telling her about the confrontation between Captain Archer and Tolaris? More importantly, why had Captain Archer wanted to keep this from her? She knew she’d have spoken against his physical alteration with Tolaris, but only for the fact that Tolaris could have very easily overpowered him and the result wouldn’t have been pleasant. It also surprised T’Pol that Archer would do that for her. He didn’t like Vulcans, so why would he risk physical harm for one? It didn’t seem very logical. But the Captain had his reason for not telling her about this, and she figured it futile to figure out what it was. 

T’Pol packed up her items and walked over the hill towards the village. Perhaps there, she could find a distraction from her thoughts.

***

Jonathan got up from the couch and placed the book down on the floor as he heard Porthos scratch at the door. From the way he was wagging his tail, he knew the person was probably someone from _Enterprise._ He walked up to open the door and saw Phlox standing there.

“Captain, hello! It’s a fine day, isn’t it?”

“Doctor,” the Captain greeted Phlox. “Won’t you come in?” He pointed his right hand towards the sofa. The Doctor was more than happy to comply with Archer’s request. He took a seat on the sofa and Jonathan moved his book from off the floor. Phlox looked at the title of it.

“Hmm… _Crime and Punishment,_ I see. Doesn’t seem very interesting.”

“You can’t judge a book by its cover, Doctor,” Jonathan replied. “It’s much more enjoyable now than when I was in high school. I’m right at the part where Svirigailov has the dream about a servant he had abused so much she committed suicide.”

“Ah, yes, dreams…” Phlox started up. “Places where the subconscious opens up and lets us see what we may try to cover up on the outside or push back out of our conscious being, hmm…yes…Oh, I’m sorry, Captain...I was thinking about a conversation I had with someone earlier.”

“It’s quite all right. Have you learned anything new?”

“I’ve learned that the Jyorans are very interesting. Their beliefs are much looser than your human ideals. Oh, yes, they are a passionate people. Very different from the Vulcans, don’t you think?”

“They could learn to use a little discretion,” Jonathan chuckled, thinking upon the day before at the pool. “ _Enterprise_ would be a lot more interesting with one of them on board.”

“Ah, yes. Captain, has anyone explained to you the most important theme of this holiday?”

He shook his head.

“This is the most romantic holiday of their year. So,” Phlox began, “have you found a special lady?” He grinned at Jonathan, who merely laughed.

“This is only day two, Doctor! I haven’t even left the room today…the only woman I’ve spoken to is T’Pol. By the way, did you see her today?”

“Why do you ask?” Phlox queried, although he suspected the reason why.

“I don’t know…” Jonathan said with forced aloofness. “I haven’t seen much of her today, is all.”

“I spoke to her before coming here. She showed me where you were rooming and we talked about some of the plant life here, nothing more.”

Phlox gave Porthos a pat on the head as Archer looked out the glass door to the hill where T’Pol had been on a while ago. The doctor could tell by the look on Captain Archer’s face he really missed her. He was a man in love-and with a Vulcan, too!

“Captain?”

“Hmm?”

“May I ask how you spent the day yesterday?”

Jonathan nodded and began. “Oh….Well, I mostly taught T’Pol how to swim. We had a discussion about the surface water on her homeworld, and-” He stopped in mid-sentence as he saw Phlox grin that unusually wide grin he reserved only for really joyous occasions. “It was nothing more than that, Doctor,” he finished with a note of severity in his tone of voice.

“I’m aware of that, Captain. But, I was thinking back to my home world. On Denobula, swimming with a member of the opposite sex is reserved for a very close relationship.” Phlox sighed and smiled.

“ _T’Pol and I are not that close, Doctor!”_ he growled in a low voice.

Phlox gave off a genuinely innocent shrug. “I didn’t mean anything by it, sir. I suppose you and the Subcommander are too incompatible to ever be together, eh?”

“That’s right. I don’t like her, and she doesn’t like me in that way.”

“So you wouldn’t fight for her honor against someone who was bigger and stronger than you?”

Jonathan slapped his hand on his knee, and tried to say something, but couldn’t put it into words. Finally he responded with “Did you ever tell her about that?!” with apparent nervousness in his voice. Both men knew what he meant by it.

“Oh, shaa. Of course not,” Phlox lied. “But I never understood why you wanted to keep that a secret.”

“I have my reasons,” Archer mumbled under his breath as he picked up his copy of _Crime and Punishment_ and held it up to his face to hide his cheeks.

“You’re attracted to her, sir.”

“I am not! I may have a dream or two about her…” Jonathan saw Phlox beam and knew it was no use talking him out of this notion he had about the two of them. “Shit!”

“I don’t hold it against you. Such dreams of erotica are quite normal for a male of your species. I’ve known Vulcans to experience them outside of their Ponn Farr cycles if they truly cared for someone.”

Phlox knew he had said a little too much without saying much of anything. Captain Archer wasn’t too good at reading between the lines and this was no exception, but it felt good to say that. If there was one emotion humans were quick to hide, it was the fact they were in love…and Vulcans would deny the feeling ever existed.

“I don’t think T’Pol is that kind of Vulcan. Besides, if there is anyone she’d go for on this ship, I’m guessing it would be Trip with all the time they spend together with that…what is it? Neuropressure? Yeah.”

Phlox laughed.

“You really think that?! I’ve never seen two people _less_ suited for one another!”

Jonathan knew in his heart the doctor was correct about that. Trip had certainly tried enough times, but it was all for nil. If there was anything crazier than the idea of Vulcans having erotic dreams, it was most certainly this. He laughed.

“You’re right Doctor…” he turned away to the glass door and let out a muffled sigh. Phlox knew what he was looking for, even if Captain Archer refused to admit it to himself. He and Subcommander T’Pol were very much alike indeed. They were two of the most headstrong people he’d ever met!

“Captain,” Phlox started up the conversation again, “I want to know…why did you stay with her that night when Tolaris attacked her?”

He thought briefly on the fear he had felt when he first got the news and the sadness that replaced it when he saw T’Pol lying there motionless, incapable of doing anything. She looked so helpless.

“She’s a crewmember. I’d have done the same for Hoshi or Trip or anyone else.” He had not turned to face Phlox when he said this.

“I didn’t think holding her hand was really necessary.”

Silence.

“It didn’t mean a thing. For humans, touching can help to bring someone out of a coma. That’s what I was doing!” His voice grew louder with every word he said but as he finished he knew this wasn’t true. “I knew then I cared about her more than I realized.”

Phlox nodded solemnly. “You care about her.”

“ _Not_ in that way.”

The doctor could tell that Captain Archer knew he wasn’t being honest to him. He wouldn’t even allow himself to be honest with himself. Oh, he wished he wasn’t a doctor, so he could help those two out!

“I’m sorry for prying, Captain. I should learn to use some restraint. However, I do find relationships of your species intriguing, with all the hiding and games and all. We don’t have that problem on my planet.”

“Perhaps that’s why everyone has three spouses,” Archer managed to joke. Phlox looked at the clock and saw it was nearly 1200 hour.

“Well, I must leave. I have a lunch date with a local friend of mine. Care to join us?”

Archer shook his head at it. “I’m fine. I want to get to through the end of this before nighttime. I’ll let you borrow it sometime.”

 

“I’ll be glad to read it, Captain. Well, I really must go. Good-bye, Captain.”

Porthos saw him to the door, then ran over to Jonathan and hopped up next to him on the couch. Jonathan tried to read the passage, but his mind kept wandering over to the conversation he had with Phlox about T’Pol and that night…

***

_About two years earlier…_

“T’Pol? Please get up,” he whispered in her ear. She lay motionless on the bio-bed, her eyes shut. She even looked a tad bit pale. Phlox looked over at him from the other side of the room.

“She can’t hear you, Captain.”

Archer didn’t respond for about two seconds.

“Will she be all right?” he asked. Captain Archer looked about five years older than when Phlox saw him last two days ago.

Phlox looked at his scans, and saw something in her neural cortex that hadn’t been there before. He couldn’t be sure it was what he thought it was, but he hoped for her sake it was just an error in the scans. A second try proved it wasn’t; She had the Pa’nar.

“Doctor?”

“She’ll be alive in the morning, sir.”

“That’s not what I asked,” he snapped quietly.

Phlox knew T’Pol was very private and wouldn’t want him to know about her illness. But he didn’t want to lie to him. Well, she was his patient and she had a right to her privacy…

“T’Pol will be back to normal,” he told him.

Jonathan took her left hand into both of his and sat down in a chair next to her. He leaned in closer to her. “You’re going to be fine, T’Pol. I know you will. Just don’t give up, please. We need you here.” In a much lower voice that Doctor Phlox was barely able to hear, Jonathan added, “I need you here.”

If T’Pol’s condition hadn’t been so critical, Doctor Phlox would have walked out of sickbay immediately to give them some alone time. Perhaps something positive could come from this unfortunate event.

“Are you sure she’ll be fine?”

“Yes, Captain. Perhaps you can use some rest, sir.”

“I wouldn’t be able to sleep tonight. Can I stay here?”

“I don’t see why not. Just don’t get in the way if anything happens?”

“What could happen?” Jonathan asked with some apprehension. Phlox tried not to sigh, knowing he was very worried.

“I don’t know…I don’t think that will be the case. Don’t mind me, though.”

Except to ask about certain reading in the scans, Captain Archer said nothing to Phlox. Instead, all his attention was on T’Pol, who he had come so close to losing that day. But she was still here. He figured he’d grown to care for her more than expected over the last seven months. He hoped she’d wake up soon, just to get another look at her eyes.

***

“Damnit, Phlox!” he yelled and slammed the book down on the table. Phlox sure did have a way of making things stick in someone’s head. He remembered back to the night he spent in sickbay when Porthos had gotten sick. Even in the middle of operation, he insisted upon this dumb idea there was sexual tension between him and T’Pol. Thanks to that conversation, he’d dreamt that night of him and T’Pol in decon, and because of _that_ , he had not one, but two Freudian slips while speaking to T’Pol when she came in a little later on. If she had been a human woman, Archer would have been slapped for what came out of his mouth.

Knowing he wouldn’t get any reading done, he called Porthos and gathered the beagle’s leash to take him on a walk. They both needed it.

***

T’Pol’s walk led her not into the village, but clear through the other side of it. Nothing in the town interested her much. When she had reached the edge of the village, she followed the road, which stretched for about a mile to a hill, which had nothing but a lone tree on it. T’Pol continued to climb the hill until she had reached its top and was able to see everything beneath it, including the lake by which she was residing for the week.

One notable fact was the noise on the hill—there was none. It was the perfect atmosphere for meditation, she thought to herself. Considering her attempts at mediation the past few days had failed, T’Pol decided to try it here, in the outdoors. She sat down and closed her eyes…

Her mind went back to something she had not thought about till her conversation with Phlox that day. His story about Captain Archer staying with her during the time she was unconscious had brought about her remembering a vision she’d had when she was out. It hadn’t been important for her to remember then, but now T’Pol was able to call it back up as clear as day…

She found herself in a dark, foggy place and T’Pol didn’t know where. Nothing about it was familiar, but yet she was apprehensive. T’Pol had no clue which way to go to get out of this place and didn’t know if anyone else was around. She sat down.

Suddenly, out of nowhere, Captain Archer appeared and the fog began to clear up.

“T’Pol? Please get up.”

It sounded like he was very nearby. He extended a hand to her and she reached for it.

“You’re going to be fine, T’Pol. I know you will. Just don’t give up, please. We need you here. I need you here.”

The sound of his voice was very comforting after her ordeal with Tolaris and his probing into her mind. She stood up and walked out of the dark with Captain Archer.

***

T’Pol opened her eyes again.

She was able to make a connection with the information Phlox told her and that dream she had had while unconscious. If Captain Archer had been with her the entire night, perhaps he may have spoken to her in an attempt to wake her. If so, this may have resulted in this dream…or rather, his presence in it. There was also the tone of his voice. It sounded to her that he was worried about her. It would be fitting to his character, as Captain Archer was wont to fits of passionate behavior at times, and an attack on one of his crewmen would have been cause for one of those.

She checked her watch, and saw it was around 0220 hours. She had been out much longer than she anticipated, and her goal for distraction from her thoughts had not worked. Captain Archer had worried about her getting lost. It was best she go in person to show him she was all right.

**

When Archer stepped inside, he was more than surprised to find T’Pol sitting there on the sofa with his book in her hands.

“T’Pol?”

She looked up at him and set the book down on the table. “Jonathan. How was your day?”

“It was…all right. Phlox came by for a visit. He said something very interesting about Vulcans today. This may be a little uncomfortable for you to answer, but…do Vulcans ever...have, um, dreams of a sexual nature?”

“Excuse me?” She lifted an eyebrow. She hoped Phlox hadn’t said anything to him about _her_ personal matters!

“That’s what Phlox said to me today. He was talking about the romantic atmosphere here and mentioned some Vulcans do have…passionate dreams.”

“I’m not one of those Vulcans,” she snapped.

“I know that, T’Pol!”

A second went by before she spoke again.

“But Vulcans do sometimes have such thoughts if we have not disciplined ourselves correctly in suppression our emotions. Vulcans meditate to keep such thoughts away and so we won’t have these dreams.” T’Pol turned to look out the window.

“I see.” He then changed the subject. “So, how’d your scans go?”

“It went very well, except for the part where I punctured my finger on a thorn.”

“You’re okay, right?” Jonathan asked.

“Yes. The tree didn’t seem poisonous.”

“Hey, T’Pol?”

“Yes?”

“I, er…apologize for my behavior this morning. You’re old enough to make decisions for yourself and…we could use some time from each other, since we work so closely.”

“I accept your apology. I also need to apologize for my hurried exit. I had something on my mind that I didn’t wish to contemplate upon.”

He figured as much, and he knew T’Pol wouldn’t tell him what it was. So he left it at that.

“So,” Jonathan finished, “are we friends?”

“I suppose we are, despite what Doctor Phlox might suggest.”

Archer laughed. “He’s had that conversation with you too?”

“Doctor Phlox have a very creative imagination,” T’Pol remarked.

“He even thinks there’s some sexual tension between us!”

T’Pol felt a little warm at seeing Jonathan smile.

“As I said, his imagination is very creative.” Her attention turned back to the _Crime and Punishment_ book. “This book is very fascinating. It is a wonder how humans have changed in the last four hundred years.”

“I was pretty near the end. Do you mind?” he gestured for the book back, which T’Pol handed over. “You can read it when I’m done. There may be a copy of it in the computer database on _Enterprise_.”

She nodded and headed into the bathroom for another shower, this time to wash off any dust she had gotten on her from the scans. She felt relieved that Doctor Phlox wasn’t just telling her she was attracted to Archer—he was doing the same thing with Captain Archer as well. There was no attraction to each other. There wasn’t any sexual tension she could perceive. That would make it much harder to work with one another, especially in such close working conditions.

She turned her shower on to warm this time.

Meanwhile, Jonathan was able to finish the passage he had been looking forward to and in a couple of hours he would be done. _So, Phlox was making these same suggestions to T’Pol, too. Well, I’ll have to have a talk with him about that!_

All he knew was he and T’Pol were friends and he didn’t even think it was possible to befriend a Vulcan when he began this mission. He was perfectly fine with the way things were between the two of them. If she and Trip wanted to…well, she wouldn’t give in like that, even if she wanted to. But if she did, he’d be happy for both of them. With this in mind, he continued to read.

***

_Somewhere out in the town…_

“I’m having a bit of a problem,” Trip began to explain to Lilana, a waitress he had met the day before. “Two of my friends…well, one of them at least, is in love and I want to help them to stop denying their feelings.”

“I see,” Lilana replied.

“Well, I was wonderin’ if you’ll be here tonight, when I bring my friends in?”

“Yea, it’s a busy week. Why?”

“I have a plan to help them get together,” he said, “and you’re gonna help me.”

 


	7. On the Town

Reed and Sato were walking down the street to dinner when the heard the wild beat of dance music coming towards them.

“What the devil?” Malcolm asked, scratching his head. The likes of such music he had never heard . The only comparison he could come up with was samba music while he visited Cuba. Hoshi pulled Malcolm aside as she watched some of the other bystanders do the same. Then a band on what appeared to be a float appeared playing the music they had heard. Then other acts followed them, including acrobats in bright-colored clothing and more musical groups.

“It’s a parade, Malcolm!” Hoshi laughed. She certainly did a lot of that, Malcolm noted. He found her smile grew more beautiful each time.

They said nothing else as the parade passed by as suddenly as it came. Malcolm went up to one of the locals and asked what happened. He smiled and said:

“Why, it’s nothing! There are a lot of groups such as those that have random parades in the streets. Normally, this would land one in jail, but the law enforcement’s a little loose on the rules during this festival. Nothing short of a drunken brawl can get you to jail. Well, I have to be going. I have a dinner date with my wife.” He walked away.

_“_ _I have never met a species like this one,” Hoshi said with a smile. Malcolm smiled back and Hoshi turned a little red admiring him. “Shall we continue?”_

“Actually, I’m sort of curious as to where the parade is going,” Malcolm said with a smile. Hoshi looked at him.

“You want to follow them?!”

He laughed. “Well, why not? What else have we to do, Hoshi? It’s a shore leave!”

Hoshi shrugged and she began to smile too.

“Maybe they’re end up at a restaurant,” Malcolm added as they continued in the direction of the parade.

***

_1718 hours…_

Jonathan had just finished reading his book. He checked to time on his watch.

“Whoa,” he commented. T’Pol looked up from her own book on Surek’s teachings. “It’s time I get ready to meet Trip. That means you too.”

“I don’t think my attire needs changing.” She turned her head back to the book.

Jonathan pulled out a mirror and began to comb his hair a little. “Come on, T’Pol. You don’t want to do anything?”

“Vulcans--”

“Don’t indulge in vanity, yes, I know.” Archer waved a hand.

“Correct.”

He simply shrugged, although her aloof manner was pissing him off more than usual. She had been strangely quiet upon her return this afternoon. Whatever bothered her this morning must still be on her mind. At any rate, there was still some time before they had to meet Trip, which meant they could go into the village and get a look around.

“Well, I’m ready to go. You coming?”

T’Pol looked at the clock. “There is plenty of time before we meet have to meet Mr. Tucker.”

“I know that. I want to explore around the village a bit.”

“I’ve already been through there. There isn’t much to see.”

Archer promptly stopped combing his hair. He slammed the comb down. “You went through and didn’t tell me?”

T’Pol noticed he sounded a little emotional. “I hadn’t planned on it, but yes, I did.”

“I thought you were going to scan some plant life or something!” _So that’s where she disappeared to after she spoke with Phlox!_

“I did, but the scans resulted in nothing of any use.” She struggled to keep herself from feeling angry at Jonathan’s irrational behavior, but found it to be a daunting task. “I went through the village and up to a remote hill where I did some meditation.”

“You should have called over the comm. It’s a busy time of their year, T’Pol. Do you have any clue what kind of perverts could be around?”

“You don’t know either.”

_Well, she had me there._

“I don’t want you to get hurt. It’s best that we stick together for the rest of the week,” he said. T’Pol merely looked at him and narrowed her eyes.

“Jonathan Archer, I am sixty-two years of age. I am capable of protecting myself with or without your assistance.”

“There are safety in numbers.” In an agitated voice, Jonathan asked, “Are you trying to avoid me? You haven’t said much to me today.”

T’Pol placed her book down next to her on the bed.

“I thought it would be best to put some distance between us, at least for today. Our sleeping arrangement, especially since we are of opposite genders, may cause some tension. I wish to avoid that.” It was true, in part. Being with the same person for an extended period in close proximity was known to cause agitation in humans.

Archer threw his hands in the air in frustration. “Well, there’ no tension on _my_ part, because if there was, I’d share that with you!” If she wanted space, she could have it then. He went over to fetch his jacket.

“Where are you going?” T’Pol asked sharply.

“I’m going to explore the village. I’m sure you don’t want to come since there’s nothing of interest for you.” He headed out the door. T’Pol stood up.

“You’re being irrationally upset.” She went to take a step closer to him, but found she felt a little light headed, so she stopped in her tracks. Archer, whose back was turned, didn’t take heed to this.

“I’m not upset!” he yelled. “You know where to meet us for dinner. Make sure Porthos doesn’t get out.” Archer walked out, slamming the door behind him. Almost immediately, he realized how foolish this argument was. What was he so pissed off about anyway? Jonathan’s first urge was to immediately turn around and apologize. But she probably wouldn’t accept it. With a sigh, Jonathan headed off.

Inside the room, T’Pol quickly grabbed the book she was reading and continued where she left off-or rather she attempted to continue reading, but found it was difficult to forget Captain Archer’s unreasonable behavior just then. It was hard to determine why he became emotional at times, especially over such trivial things as a change in _her_ plans. She hadn’t left comm range and she hadn’t got lost, as he had been afraid of. There was no problem as far as she could see.

Then another thought occurred to her. While she knew the description of where they were to meet for dinner, T’Pol had no idea _where_ the location was. She looked out of the window and saw the sun was setting and it would be dark soon. It would be best if she left soon, before it got any darker. T’Pol grabbed her jacket and headed out the door. Porthos ran up to her and jumped up on her leg, hoping she’d let him out.

“I apologize, Porthos. Your owner wishes for you to remain here.”

***

“Ah, Captain! It’s nice to see you again!” a somewhat familiar voice called out.

Jonathan turned around from the window he was looking into and saw the man he had met at the pool the day before. He had on his jolly expression, as usual.

“So, where’s your lady friend…er, what was her name again? T’Penna? T’ Pel?”

“T’Pol,” he told the man. The Jyoran man nodded. “You know, I never got your name.”

“The name’s Fellis. I never got your name either!”

“Jonathan Archer.” He extended at hand for him to shake.

“You seem like a pleasant fellow. If you aren’t doing anything with your girl tomorrow (at this, Jonathan rolled his eyes slightly), my wife and I are hosting a _Lunis Faveli_ party. Our home is fairly large, so we can accommodate quite a lot of people. I do hope you and T’Pia can come.”

“Her name’s T’Pol,” Jonathan corrected again, “and I’ll be glad to come tomorrow. When is it?”

Fellis pointed northeast to a large peak. “It begins at sunset. My wife and I live at the bottom of the peak.” He handed Archer some binoculars and Jonathan was able to see the home he spoke of—which was rather large.

“It looks like a hotel!”

“Well, it _is_ a hotel! We own it, we live in it—that’s why our home is rather large!” Fellis cackled and slowly walked away. “You bring that girl of yours…bye now!”

Well, a party could be fun, he thought to himself. He doubted T’Pol would be up for it, though. But still, he’d go have his own fun with or without her.

***

It was fortunate T’Pol left when she did. When she reached the top of the road from the shoreline, she saw there was what the humans called a parade in progress, which held up the flow of movement significantly. She heard loud music coming from one of the floats and saw dancers accompany the musicians. There were cheers from the onlookers. The parade passed and traffic continued as usual.

One could tell that T’Pol really didn’t fit in with the festive atmosphere around the town. Vulcan stoicism aside, her very attire, which consisted of a plain, close-fitting white sweater, black slacks and tan boots clashed with the shades of the rainbow that all the locals were donning.  The women wore quite elaborate dresses and hats to match. This may not have had any relevance to this story, except for the fact that T’Pol found she didn’t know which way she was going and stepped into a beauty parlor to ask for directions.

Two beauticians stepped up to the door to greet her. They could tell by the ears she wasn’t from around these parts.

“Excuse me,” T’Pol began to ask. “I’m looking for a restaurant where the front is completely red. I am not certain of the name. Can you help me get there?”

The two young ladies, neither of whom looked any older than Ensign Sato, began to study the Vulcan’s pointed ears.

“We’ve never seen your species around here. Where are you from?”

“I come from Vulcan. It is about a forty-five light-year trip from here.”

“I think you have the most loveliest ears,” the shorter of the two said. This girl stood a good three inches over T’Pol, the other about five. “But your hair could use a little work.” She started to play with her hair, but she shoved her away.

“My hair is fine.” The girls looked to each other and gave a false pout, which T’Pol pretended not to see. “If you will not help me….”

T’Pol headed out, but the taller girl stood at the door, blocking the exit. “Oh, don’t go!”

“Please?!” the other joined in. “You’re here for a visit. Make the most of it.”

 _This sounded a lot like something Captain Archer would say_ , she thought. Well, Archer did say something or other about her attire this evening. She couldn’t quite remember what it was, but nonetheless she had some time before dinner. She slowly turned away from the door while the girls cheered and grabbed either of her arms, leading her to the styling area. They sat her down in one of the chairs.

“First of all, we must change your attire. It’s warm, but not right for the moon festival!”

“I’m not accustomed to hair as short as yours, but I’m sure I’ll be able to fix it up somehow!”

T’Pol turned to them. “I appreciate what you women want to do, but I did not bring anything of value to give you for your services.”

The taller girl shrugged. “We’re not allowed to take money or anything until we pass our exams anyhow.”

T’Pol firmed up her grip on the armrests. The shorter girl left and soon returned with a blue, floor length dress of blue shimmery material. “See? I knew this would be handy. It’s a bit too short for me now, but I think it’ll be a fine fit on you, um….I never asked your name.”

“Subcommander T’Pol, on the Starship _Enterprise_.”

“Well Subcommander T’Pol, we’ll have you looking good in no time. When do you need to be at that place?”

“In about an hour.”

“Oh, that’s plenty of time,” the short one said. “Now, to curl you hair…”

***

_An Hour Later…_

“Hey, Jonathan!” Trip called from a distance.

“Hey, Trip, you’re right on time!” He waited for Trip to come over before he headed in the door. He looked up at the ceiling, which were adorned with what looked like Chinese paper lanterns.  All the walls were painted red and the tables were painted gold. On one side of the room, there was a band playing.

“Wow, you sure picked a festive place for dinner.” Archer commented as he checked out his surroundings. Trip noticed that T’Pol was missing. Well, that would ruin the plan.

“Hey…isn’t T’Pol supposed to come too?”

“The last time I saw her, she was sitting in the room reading the teachings of Surek. Table for three, please,” Jonathan said to the waiter that led them to a secluded booth on the other side of the room.

“I’ll never understand Vulcans.” Jon continued once they were seated.

“What’s new about that?”

“This morning, she tried leaving the room without telling me where she was going. When I managed to get it out of her, she didn’t really want me going with her.”

“Where’d she go?” Trip asked, sensing his friend might be blowing things out of proportion.

“To do some scans on plant life here, Trip. It’s a shore leave, for crying out loud!”

Trip shrugged. “So? She didn’t want you getting’ in her way. Since when does scannin’ plants excite you?”

“It doesn’t! I mean….” Archer took a few seconds to calm down before he continued.

“Well, that’s not all. She says she’s going to scan plants, but then when she returned T’Pol tells me she went looking around the village without me! I mean, that’s dangerous to go around in an unknown area without anyone else knowing where the hell you are. Is there a problem?”

The couple next to them had been listening in as Jonathan raised his voice while speaking. They promptly turned around and discussed to themselves in Jyoran about how obvious it was this fellow had it hard for whomever it was he was discussing about. Tucker leaned in a little so Jonathan could keep his voice down.

“Jonathan,” he said coolly, “T’Pol can be a little insensitive to our feelings, but that’s just the way she is. I bet she didn’t think you’d care about her visiting the village. You’re making a big deal out of nothing. Unless,” he added with a smirk, “you’re a little worried about her.”

“Trip…” Archer warned. Trip put his hands up in the air and lowered his head slightly to discourage him from yelling anymore. Jonathan continued.

“We were getting along fine yesterday. Yesterday we walked around the lake in the morning and went swimming together and one of those hot ponds, and today it was almost like she was trying to avoid me.”

Trip nodded, then registered what Jonathan just said about him and T’Pol. A glow came across his face.

“What?” Jonathan asked.

“Hold it! Let’s back this train up for a sec. You and T’Pol went swimmin’? Together? I didn’t think Vulcans swam!”

“They don’t. I was teaching her how to swim. We started talking about the lack of surface water on Vulcan and…” Jonathan trailed off as he pulled his menu up to cover his face, although he couldn’t read a single word of Jyoran. It was upside down. Trip looked up at the ceiling and smirk.

“And whose idea was this to teach her?”

“It was, er… mine.” Jonathan stammered. The last word was barely audible. Trip grinned.

“I bet she looked cute out there in the water, with her swimsuit that showed every part of her body,” he commented, giving Jonathan a very nice mental image that he pushed out of his mind.

“It wasn’t _that_ tight on her. Besides, I wasn’t even looking.” Jonathan turned away from him at that last part, partly to check if T’Pol was at the door, and partly because he felt a guilty smile coming on. Trip shook his head in amusement.

“Well, you had to enjoy it a _little_!” he egged on. “Come on! I know at least five guys on _Enterprise_ that would have loved to have been you yesterday--”

“Trip, I’m still your captain, you know.” He tried to give him a stern look. Tucker laughed, ignoring his expression.

“Oh, come on! She’s not hard on the eyes. Are you gonna tell me you’ve never looked at her?”

Jonathan let out a sigh. “She’s _Vulcan,_ Trip.”

“But still! I don’t see very many human women who dress like T’Pol does. She’s pretty darn hot, Jonathan.”

“You shut up! Do you not have any respect for your superiors?”

“Technically, T’Pol and I are the same rank!” Archer shook his head at Trip’s smart-ass comment and returned to reading the menu. There was silence between them for a few seconds till Trip asked:

“Well, if you don’t mind, could you tell me what kind of swimsuit she was wearin’? Two-piece, one piece? I bet it was a string bikini!” Trip Tucker knew it wasn’t, but he just wanted to give Jonathan that picture in his mind. Jonathan gave a cold stare to the idiot he called his best friend.

“It was, wasn’t it?!”

He slammed the menu down on the table. “Drop it, Trip.” Tucker knew he didn’t want to continue this conversation...and he also was able to figure that Jonathan was a little embarrassed about his fantasies. Well, he had a plan to help those feelings come right up to the surface.

In a lower voice, Jonathan pulled Trip closer and said: “If you mention this in front of T’Pol, I’ll deck you. Understand?” the younger man nodded. “Good.”

Trip began looking around for something to take Jonathan’s mind off of him. He then saw a woman walking into the place with a long blue dress on and her hair was flipped up. She looked a bit familiar, too…

“Jonathan, look-” he pointed over there to the woman. “Now, _she’s_ pretty. I think I’ve seen her before. I can’t think where, though…”

“Yeah, I got that feeling too.”

The woman headed right for their table as if she knew them. As she got nearer, Jonathan was able to see her face a lot better, and realized he recognized those hazel eyes, even if her new hairstyle covered her pointed ears. Trip’s mouth hung open as if he had never seen her before.

“Hello, Jonathan,” T’Pol said, before sitting down.

“Wow…” was Trip’s response, his mouth still open. T’Pol looked at him and it caught Jon’s attention to Trip. God, Trip could not control himself around a beautiful woman, could he? He could at least _try_ to act dignified around her. He remedied this with a very hard slap under Tucker’s chin, which had Trip’s mouth aching till the next morning. Jonathan added a scornful look with that.

“I apologize for my tardiness. I got a little…lost.”

Archer smiled at her, as did Tucker.

“It’s quite all right, T’Pol. You look very nice.”

Suddenly, she felt herself overheat again. She was definitely going to Sick Bay when they got back to _Enterprise_. Phlox must have made an error in his scans before she left. T’Pol noticed this only happened when Captain Archer said something to her, or was within touching range.

“So,” Trip said to T’Pol, “what have you been up to these few days?” He began to sense Jonathan was burning a hole through him with his eyes-after he had kicked him in the shin from under the table.

“I have been doing studies on the vegetation around this area,” she replied flatly. “These plants are very similar to the ones on Earth.” A few moments of silence passed as they all waited for one of the others to say something. As expected, Trip spoke first.

“Ahh, let’s get our grub on!” Trip rubbed his hands together and leaned behind the booth. “Hey, Lilana’s here! Hey, Lilana! Say hello!”

The waitress came over with a wide grin on her face.

“Is she a friend of yours?” Jon asked.

“You could say that,” Trip answered. He pulled a piece of paper out from his pocket and said to the woman, “ Here’s that Tennyson poem I promised you yesterday.”

Lilana took the paper and opened it. In fact, there had been no poem at all, but merely a note written by our own Mr. Tucker saying:

_Hey-You know which one is Archer. Just pretend not to. T’Pol doesn’t believe in showing emotions, so don’t worry about her. I’m sure Jonathan will find you attractive…that is, until I work my charm over on T’Pol. Then he’ll most likely want me dead. –Trip_

She merely laughed and told Trip what a charming fellow he was.

Tucker continued. “Hey, could you bring two specials, and one of your vegetarian dishes for my friend T’Pol here?”

“Sure thing,” her attention turned to the other fellow that accompanied Trip. She walked up behind him and placed a hand on his shoulder. “And who’s he?”

Jonathan gave a smile to this attractive woman with an oh-so-sweet smile. “I’m Jonathan.”

“I’m Lilana...but Trip told you that. He forgot to tell me how handsome you are.” Lilana proceeded put another hand on his shoulder and Jonathan’s smile widened at her touch.

 _Do not overdo it, Lilana!_ Tucker said in his mind. Well, part one was working well…

Trip’s eyes went from Jonathan and Lilana to T’Pol. She sat quietly while watching Archer flirt with Lilana. Her eyes had narrowed quite a bit, and he knew that look too well. It was usually when he, Trip, went and said some stupid remark without thinking in front of her. There was another quality in her expression, which he had never seen before, but he couldn’t quite put his finger upon it….

“You know,” the Jyoran cooed, “we have a dancing area here. I’d like to dance when my shift gets off in a while.”

“How long is a while?” He could really get used to a place like this. However, T’Pol cut in before she could respond.

“Miss Lilana,” she addressed her sharply, “you have yet to return our order. You may not want to keep your other customers waiting. Jonathan will still be here when you are finished.”

 _That’s what it was!_ Trip shouted in his mind as he realized what was difference about her expression. _She was a little green-eyed! Well, that does beat all!_ It seemed like part two would be a little easier than he thought!!

Lilana just smiled at T’Pol. Trip had told her she wouldn’t show any emotion, so this display of jealousy took her by surprise. Nevertheless, she got the sense than she was harmless. And her boss was always telling her not to dawdle anyhow. With that, she ran two fingers in Jonathan’s hair and prepared to leave.

“She’s right. I’ll be right back.”

“T’Pol, what in the hell was that all about?!” Trip asked in a furious voice. He wasn’t really mad, but he acted as such because he had learned it was best to ignore it when she showed emotions or else she’d clam up even more than usual. “She was just being a little friendly!”

She glared at him. “Lilana was not making efficient use of her time or ours. I merely suggested she continue on her work before engaging in personal endeavors. Of course, neither of you could see that.”

“I wasn’t in any rush,” Trip told her in a calmer voice.

“One can always mix business with pleasure, T’Pol,” Archer piped. “But you seem to forget that not all species are like yours.”

“The Vulcan High Council believes we should not engage in intimate activities with members of other species while serving on a space vessel. It is not proper.”

Tucker wished he had a camcorder and picked up his napkin to cover his grin. Damn, she had it bad for him! If only she knew how bad Archer had it for her.

Archer leaned in closer to her.

“First of all, I work for _Starfleet_. Secondly, this is none of your business, but I have no intention of…making love with her. I’ve only just met her. Thirdly, I don’t need you babysitting me anymore than you need me protecting you. Now, when she comes back, _be nice_.”

“Aye, Captain,” T’Pol replied back, a little angry. It was clear that Captain Archer didn’t want her guidance. She didn’t follow her emotions too often, but something other than logic was telling her this Lilora person was not what she seemed. She smiled much too widely than a normal humanoid should and her flirtation could have used some moderation. It seemed a bit too much for her.

 _What the hell was happening with her?_ Jonathan thought. It seemed just yesterday they were being friends, but she wouldn’t even talk to him today. Then she practically runs off a woman that did seem a little interested with her rude behavior. He sighed and looked around the room. He wasn’t very hungry and he didn’t feel like talking.

Five minutes of silence passed between the three of them.

Trip sensed the tension from both of them, and it was getting to be a little much. However, this was better than a friggin’ soap opera! They both had feelings for each other, and yet neither of them would admit it to themselves or each other. His eyes wandered from the two of them to the dance floor. He _had_ wanted to wait a little later to execute the second part of him plan, but this was just as good a time as any. He couldn’t have eaten anyway.

With that, Trip stood up and extended a hand to T’Pol. She looked up at him.

“Commander?”

“Trip?”

“We have some time to kill before our dinner comes. Care to dance with me?”

T’Pol saw Lilana coming back this way with their meal, but realized she had no appetite.

“I will dance with you, Mr. Tucker.” She stood up and glanced down at Jonathan. “It would be rude not to.”  T’Pol placed her hand into the crook of Trip’s arm and let him guide her to the dancing area.

Immediately upon their arrival to the dance floor, T’Pol placed a hand up to the side of her face. The room felt like it was spinning slightly. She felt a bit warm, but not in the fashion she had been experiencing the past few days around Captain Archer.

“You all right, Subcommander?” Trip was a little worried. “We can always sit back down.”

“I’m fine, Mr. Tucker. I’ve seen you humans prefer to dance close to one another. This is the perfect music for that.” With asking, she placed her head up next to the commander’s chest. Trip was taken aback by this.

“It’s because of your headache and you don’t want to be around the two of them.”

“Correct.”

“Ah.” Trip nodded. Just perfect. If he knew Jonathan, then he was watching the both of them and getting the idea she was coming on to _him_. If Jonathan Archer wanted a show, he was more than happy to give him one.

***

Jonathan watched the two of them walk off. Well, good riddance. He didn’t mind the fact Trip was letting her press up against him while the live band was playing a slow piece. Oh, no. The only thing bugging him was the fact they were both officers on the same ship. Wasn’t there a code of conduct about that? Trip shouldn’t have his hands so low on her back, he was sure of that!

“I see you lady friend is busy,” Lilana said. Jonathan had been watching T’Pol and Trip and hadn’t even noticed she had returned with dinner and was sitting next to him.

“Oh, yeah, T’Pol’s busy. Yeah, she is.”

“Oh, shaa. Let’s get back to us.” She picked up Jonathan’s face with her hands and met with his green eyes.

***

T’Pol, meanwhile, had her head turned in Archer’s direction, and witnessed this act. Trip saw this, and was amused.

“Ignore them, Subcommander. Don’t want your Vulcan friends to know you were getting jealous, do you?”

She pushed off of Trip and looked at him with that very familiar expression of irritation.

“I am not envious, Jonathan.”

Trip laughed until he saw her just looking at him. He stopped after a few seconds and T’Pol continued.

“I apologize for calling you Jonathan. I don’t know why I mistook you for Captain Archer. Most humans I know would not find that amusing, Mr. Tucker.”

“That’s not why I’m laughing, T’Pol. I think you’re a little love sick over the Cap’n!”

Her eyes narrowed.

“Mr. Tucker,” she began, making sure to sturdy the tone in her voice, “I respect Captain Archer as a person and as my superior officer. My feelings and _thoughts_ end there. I have no romantic interest in him.”

“You were thinkin’  ‘bout him. That’s why you called me Jonathan. You were lookin’ over there worryin’ that he’s not gonna look at you!”

“You are out of line, Commander.” The agitation she now felt crept into her voice.

“We’re not on duty! But,” and with this he pulled her in a little closer, “I know Lilana doesn’t hold a candle to you in his eyes. He may not show it all the time, but he respects ya and cares about ya. A _lot_.”

T’Pol studied his face. There was no trace of amusement in it, but never the less it was irrelevant. Captain Archer was her captain and a romance would not be logical or practical.  She took Tucker’s hand and they continued to dance in silence. She never looked up at Trip once.

***

Archer pulls her hands down off his face.

“I’m hungry,” he said aloofly. “I’m…gonna eat now.” He began to stuff his face with the chicken-like strips on his plate. When he did this, Archer felt a sudden burning in his mouth from the hot spices he was not accustomed too and spit it out. Trip had gone before he got the chance to tell him about it. Lilana handed him a glass of water to ease his discomfort, which he gladly took.

“You should be more careful,” she told him while he coughed. “Your friend Trip didn’t mind the spices.”

“I’m not Trip, am I?”

He said this a bit angrily, as he remembered he and T’Pol were _still_ out there dancing together. In fact, they were even closer together then the last time he looked over, if that were even possible. Lilana saw this and sensed his envy.

“You love her, don’t you?”

He looked at her like she grew two heads. “What?!”

“You didn’t like it when she left to dance with Trip. In fact you’ve had your eyes on her almost the entire night.”

Archer chuckled. “You don’t know the first thing about T’Pol and her people. If you did, you’d know I could _never_ be with a woman like that.”

“I don’t think she enjoyed my advances earlier.”

“Of course not! She thinks us humans are damn cavemen that will screw anything that passes by!” He turned away from her and turned his attention back to where it was before. The band had now begun to play a faster tune and Trip was showing her a samba dance he’d learned some time ago, which required the women to move certain parts of the anatomy… Oh, he’d have to have a talk with Trip when they got back to the ship.

Lilana pulled Jonathan closer and whispered: “Every time we began talking, she looks over here.”

He shrugged. “She’s just being a good first officer, making sure I’m all right.”

Then she gave a large grin. Jonathan knew what she was thinking of. The thought was impossible for him to comprehend!

“You think she’s jealous.” Jonathan stated. She nodded. “That’s impossible.”

“I know this as fact. Trip told me she’s very quiet most of the time.”

Jonathan wished he could believe that, or at least consider it as a possibility, but he knew better. He wasn’t going to allow himself to even think it.

“Her behavior was a little out of line, but it is NOTHING like that. Most of the time she tries hard to isolate the rest of the world out from around her. It makes it so hard to care for her. I really wished I knew what she wanted…I wish I knew what I wanted, too…”

Lilana looked at the clock on the wall. Her shift had ended. However, she didn’t think Jonathan would enjoy dancing just now, and besides, Trip’s plan worked.

“You love her. She loves you. Just go for it.”

Jonathan placed his head on one hand. His nose picked up on the spices from the meal he had barely touched and it got to him. He sneezed three times in succession.

***

“She’s gone,” Trip whispered to T’Pol, who had turned her head and closed her eyes.

“I hadn’t noticed,” she shortly replied.

“Sure you weren’t. You’re dancin’ with me to make Cap’n Archer look at ya!” T’Pol was silent at Mr. Tucker’s absurd accusation.

“You let your imagination run wild too often.”

“I’m not imaginin’ anything and you know it. You like him and you were jealous! Admit it!”

Trip had another crazy idea, and as much as this would piss Jonathan off, he knew it was for his own good. If he wanted T’Pol, he’d help him get her. He slowly pulled T’Pol closer to his face, her nose touching his. She quickly caught what Trip was about to do. Her body tensed up as he neared her and lowered her by the waist. She felt extremely uncomfortable.

“What are you doing?” Her eyes narrowed at him.

“I’m not gonna kiss you. But, Jon is watchin’ over here. And he’s gettin’ pissed that he’s not me. Hey, put your hands in my hair, that’ll really irk him.” She did what Trip asked her to do, mostly because her headache was worsening and it was hard to maintain balance in the position Mr. Tucker had her in. “You gotta get into it a little more. That’s it.”

“I’m only doing this because you’re holding me in an uncomfortable position, Commander.” As soon as he righted her, she added, “And why, may I ask, would this make Jonathan agitated?”

“If he thinks he can’t have you, he’ll try harder to get you. Like a ’lil cat an’ mouse game.”

“That seems like a waste of his time.” However, T’Pol was still going along with Trip’s plan. Her eyes darted slightly to Jonathan, who was every bit as ticked as Trip had expected him to be. T’Pol knew how Captain Archer could be when enraged, and did not wish to see him fight. She pulled away from Trip. “This foolishness has gone far enough. We should rejoin Jonathan before our food gets cold.”

Trip saw Jonathan had a pretty firm grip on what seemed to be a knife and he remember then that Jon had a mean streak when it came to women. And he knew no one was safe from Jon when he was in love and they made a move on his girl. _Oh, shit…_

***

 _Someone really needs to teach Trip a lesson in manners,_ Jonathan thought glumly to himself. _You can’t approach a woman like that, by just placing your hands where they don’t belong. And why didn’t T’Pol do anything to discourage that behavior from him? In fact she was as out of line as he was, running her hands though his hair like that. Trip gets every woman. For Christ sakes, I haven’t been with a woman since I got this commission and the one woman I’m attracted to goes to him a succumbs to his charming fake smile and his fake sweetness_ … _and she is Vulcan, too_!

_What’s so great about him?_

Jonathan didn’t realize how hard he was holding his knife until he sneezed from the spices agitating his nose and let go of it. His right hand felt sore from the firm grip he had held on his utensil. When he looked up, he saw those two walking back to the table. They had been gone for the better part of an hour.

“It’s about time you came back, Trip. Enjoy yourself?”

Trip made sure to stay just out of arm’s length.

“Umm…I had a good time.” Jonathan had that passionate determined look about him. Trip looked at T’Pol, who was watching Jonathan to make sure he didn’t say or do something foolish. “Hey, Jonathan, it’s getting late, so I guess I better tuck in…”

Trip was known to be a bit of an insomniac, and turning in at 10 o’ clock at night was unheard of for him. He turned to T’Pol as one last idea popped into his head. He just hopped Jon didn’t sock him for it.

“T’Pol, I had a lovely time. I’ll be sure glad to do this tomorrow. Bye now.” With this, he grabbed her by either shoulder and kissed her on the cheek-which also happened to be very close to her lips. She closed her eyes as he did this. T’Pol did not find this to be a bit pleasant, nor did Jonathan enjoy watching this.

“Trip, a little decorum please!” Jonathan yelled.

“Aw, Jonathan, I was just bein’ friendly. Nothing more. Besides, she didn’t mind, did you?”

Before T’Pol could say anything, Archer whacked him firmly on the back in a pseudo friendly manner. “Let me walk you to the door. I’ll be back, T’Pol.”

_Well, this went better than I thought…_

With a firm grip on the rim of Trip’s shirt collar, Jonathan walked Trip up to the first step of the entrance.

“I had fun tonight. Well, I guess I’ll see you when we return to _Enterprise_?”

Jonathan chuckled under his breath and placed his hand on Trip’s shoulder.

“I guess so, Trip. I’ll see you in a few days. Oh, one more thing”-and he signaled for him to come closer and growled in a low voice-“if you ever act the way I saw you act tonight with T’Pol again, I’ll personally kick your ass and bust you down a few ranks. Do I make myself clear?”

Trip tried not to laugh in Jon’s face. “Crystal.” Archer nodded and Trip took two steps away from him. Most people would count their blessings here and run like hell. Not Trip. There was one more thing he wanted to add, which he did as soon as there was a decent amount of space between the two of them.

“It’s as clear as day you’re in love with T’Pol! You two have fun tonight!”

Archer clenched his fist.

“You son of a bitch!”

Jonathan took two running steps towards him. Tucker knew he’d went too far this time and ran faster than he ever had in his life into the dark street. Jonathan knew it would be futile to try and go after him. He would just make sure Trip Tucker never went on shore leave ever again. When he turned around to walk inside, the sight of T’Pol in that gorgeous dress and hat greeted him at the entrance.

“I came to see what was delaying you.”

“Oh, it was just…a discussion about decorum, is all. I hope you’re not too upset by what he did.”

“No, it was quite all right. I’m ready to leave, if you wish.”

“Gladly,” Archer nodded in agreement. “Let’s get back, then.”

T’Pol had not enjoyed any aspect of this evening. She had not eaten her dinner, but she could live without food till the morning. Commander Tucker had acted quite foolishly, even by his standards. On top of that, her headache was worsening. The sooner she and Captain Archer returned to their room, the sooner she could meditate and put this behind her.

They walked for about two minutes before he noticed something he felt he should have earlier.

“T’Pol, did you bring a jacket? It’s a lovely dress, but you must be freezing.”

“No. My body has adjusted to the temperature quickly. The Vulcan metabolism has been known to do that.” However, she had wrapped her arms firmly around herself.

Jonathan immediately removed his jacket as she watched him so do. He placed it over her shoulders. “Here, take it. You’re cold and you know it.”

“That was not necessary.”

“You needed it more than I do, T’Pol. No, keep it on. I wouldn’t want you to get sick.” He pushed the jacket back on her shoulder with a smile at her beautiful face. “T’Pol?”

“Yes?”

He knew he shouldn’t be asking this question, but he really wanted to know.

“I was curious…did you enjoy Trip’s company tonight?”

It was a simple question, but she didn’t answer immediately.

“I mean, you had your hands in his hair. On earth, that’s a sign that someone is attracted to you. Are you sure you and Trip are compatible for each other?” Even he knew this question was crossing the line a little.

“Jonathan Archer,” she said, looking him square in the eye, “Commander Tucker and I are adults. If we were to engage in a romantic relationship, that would be no concern of yours, with all due respect. You didn’t especially enjoy when I ended your flirtation with the waitress tonight.”

“Well,” he faltered, “Er… that was different!”

She folded her arms and glared. “How?”

Pause. “Because she’s not part of my crew! I’m responsible for the well being of eighty-two people! I didn’t care about her, I care about you!”

Jonathan stopped as he had run out of air and was now recovering it. T’Pol’s expression had not changed, but her heart had almost jumped out when she heard she cared for her. She tried to rationalize what he meant by that.

“You care about me as an officer?”

“NO! As my friend. T’Pol, we wouldn’t be out here if it weren’t for you saving my ass! I’ve needed you more times than I’ve ever let you know!

This was the first time he had ever admitted that he had been wrong in the past many times, and she was always there to correct it. He wouldn’t know what _Enterprise_ would be like without her. T’Pol was taken by shock at this last comment. It was seldom that Captain Archer would admit his flaws, and usually he was much calmer. Nonetheless…

He continued. “I’m sorry, T’Pol. For the past, and the way I acted towards you sometimes. If I asked for your forgiveness, could you give it?”

She waited a few seconds before answering. When she looked at his face, she read a bit of regret in his face, which she had never before seen in him.

“Please.”

A dull ache went through her.

“There is no point in dwelling in the past, Jonathan. We have become friends, and I have learned to trust you and your judgment. It is fortunate you have put aside your prejudice of other Vulcans. It has helped to make our working relationship stronger, which is necessary for a First Officer and a Captain to have.”

He grinned, glad to have gotten that off his chest.

“Thank you, T’Pol.”

“You are welcomed.”

“Do you hear that?”

“What?”

“Shh.” They stood in silence for a moment till they were able to pin down where that music was coming from. They followed it into a small bar that overlooked the entrance to their hotel. There sat Malcolm and Hoshi on the other side of the room, sitting together just enjoying the music. There was no one else but the bartender, who was minding his own business. Jonathan walked up to the two of them.

Malcolm stood up. “Captain. Pleasure to see you, sir.”

“Drop the formalities, Malcolm. And it’s nice to see the both of you.”

Hoshi’s attention turned to T’Pol and her dress and she hid a smile. She had liked having Malcolm to herself, and didn’t like that there were others around, even if they were commanding officers. She stood up.

“Well, Malcolm and I were just about to leave. It was nice seeing both of you.”

Malcolm gladly stood up and let Hoshi out first.

“Nice outfit,” Sato commented to T’Pol on the way out. The band began playing a slower piece as they sat down.

“Jonathan, I noticed you did not finish your dinner.”

“You didn’t either.”

“Perhaps you’ll like to eat here before we return.”

Archer shook his head and a few moments of silence passed. He didn’t want to eat, but he didn’t want to return back to the room. The music sure was nice, Jonathan thought, and T’Pol looked so lovely. He felt butterflies flap around in his stomach as he started to ask:

“May I have this dance? I mean, if you don’t want to do it…”

“I would very much like to dance, Jonathan, since we _are_ friends.”

 T’Pol extended a hand for him and let Archer lead her out to the floor. She found dancing to be much more enjoyable when you enjoyed the company of the partner. Jonathan tried not to blush as T’Pol placed one arm around his neck and one hand in his. However, he did allow for one smile to come across his face. Her headache was still there, but became a lot milder as she leaned up against him and closed her eyes. Jonathan closed his eyes too and pulled her a little closer before he really knew it.

Malcolm turned around as he was rather enjoying the song. He grabbed Hoshi to stop her.

“Bloody hell?” he said with a smile. Hoshi’s eyes widened at the sight of Captain Archer and T’Pol dancing that close together. She laughed.

“Malcolm, did you bring the camera?”

He dug into his bag and whipped it out. He snapped three photos before continuing. “Commander Tucker would love to get his hands on these babies, that’s for sure.”

“How long do you think they’ll be there?” Sato asked. “These places are open rather late.”

“From the sight of that, I say quite a while. I wish we could stay and watch.”

“My thought exactly!” Hoshi looked at the Englishman and they both cracked a smile. They walked on, having seen more than they ever thought possible and having the proof to prove it.

***

_2400 Hours_

By now, nearly two hours had passed. Two hours of bliss for the both of them, even thought if you asked T’Pol about it, she’d deny it in your face.

By now, the aforementioned Vulcan had her hands on Jonathan’s chest, while he had his arms wrapped firmly around her shoulders and the small of her back. His head pressed down slightly on hers. Jonathan realized he was thirsty.

“T’Pol, if you don’t mind, I’m going to get a drink of water. T’Pol?”

She had nearly fallen asleep on him, but their dancing had stopped it. She looked up at him with half-closed eyes, and let go of him. T’Pol walked over to the table where Malcolm and Hoshi had sat a few hours earlier and placed her head on the table. She witnessed the room was spinning, but found she had no strength to call Jonathan over…

Jonathan soon returned with his glass of water and found T’Pol was asleep with her head on the table. Was it really that late? He checked his watch, and it read 2405 hours. Well, no wonder! He figured he needed rest as well.

“Hey…come on, T’Pol. We’re not that far from the room…”

As Jonathan went to give her a nudge, his hand brushed up slightly against her cheek. It was unusually warm. He placed a hand on her forehead and he knew for certain she had a very bad fever and wouldn’t be able to walk back. When Jonathan went to lift her head up to get a better look at her, he saw she was very flushed and at that moment Jonathan Archer got _very_ scared. It was the same fear he had felt two years ago when that Vulcan attacked her.

“Oh, no...” he whispered. _Damnit! I knew I should have had that jacket on her earlier…Oh, there’s no point in dwelling on the past. I must get help for her now!_

The feel of Jon’s cooler hand caused T’Pol to wake up. Her vision was blurred and she didn’t quite recognize him, but somehow she knew it was he.

“Jonathan…” she let out a groan of discomfort. He reached in his pocket.

“Archer to Phlox,” Jon said through his communicator.

“Yes, Captain?”

“Get to my room on the double. T’Pol’s really sick.” He placed a hand on her back. She whimpered.

“What seems to be…” Phlox got cut off as Jonathan closed the communicator absently. With worry apparent on his face, Jonathan put his jacket on her and picked her up. T’Pol was conscious enough to place her arms around his neck so it would be easier for him to carry her. She rested her head on his shoulder and closed her eyes to ease her headache.

“Don’t worry. Phlox is meeting us there at our room.”

_I just hope it’s not too serious…_

 


	8. House Call

It only took Jonathan Archer three minutes to get T’Pol and himself to their room, but to him it felt like hours. He let go of her only long enough to open the door, and then he rushed in to place her on the bed. She stirred slightly in reaction to the covers being a bit cooler than Jonathan’s arms.

“Where are we...”

“We’re back, T’Pol,” he told her calmly. “Don’t worry. Phlox is gonna be here any minute.”

She closed her eyes up again and he went to shake her. She barely stirred, and Jonathan feared she was going unconscious again.

Jonathan was trying very hard to stay composed as he paced alongside the bed. Oh, he should have been with her tonight, otherwise she wouldn’t have been out in the cold for so long earlier. Where _was_ her other change of clothing?! And what the hell was he thinking by running out of the room on her earlier, just because of that stupid argument?  What were they really fighting about anyway? Whatever it was, he didn’t know, and it wasn’t important enough for him to care. He just wanted T’Pol to get well.

He looked down at his watch. Two minutes had passed since he stepped in the room. Where was Phlox? He scratched his neck in nervousness, not knowing how he could help her. _I should have paid more attention to that Alien Medicine course back in Starfleet Academy,_ Jonathan thought to himself.  Porthos hopped up on the bed next to T’Pol and began to nuzzle her. Porthos had noticed how happy his daddy was around her and was feeling Archer’s concern for her well being. Jonathan saw him place his head next to her shoulder.

“Porthos! Get down now!”

The beagle merely looked at him with big brown eyes that normally would have been cute to him.

“I’m not playing, boy. Get. Down. _Now_.”

When he refused to move, Jonathan sighed as he tried to pick him up. Porthos let out a low growl, which unnerved him even more than he already was. Porthos was normally very obedient and wouldn’t harm a fly.

“What’s gotten into you, boy? T’Pol’s sick and she needs to be left alone!” Then he remembered that dogs had a sixth sense about these sorts of things. He was just being…protective. Well, Porthos wasn’t doing anything to T’Pol and he was sure she didn’t notice Porthos’s presence next to her. Perhaps he’ll get down from the bed wherever Phlox decided to hurry his arse to the room! Jonathan headed towards the door to see if he was there.

T’Pol’s vision was very blurred, but yet she knew the figure that was walking away was him. The lights in the room were dimmed down, but to her, they might as well be off. Where was he going? Would he return?

“Don’t go...” she called out softly. Jonathan figured she was suffering from delirium. He didn’t know much about the Vulcan metabolism, but that didn’t sound very good to him. He hated to see her like this.

“I’m right by your side. I’m not going anywhere.” Jonathan placed a hand on her shoulder. She opened her eyes, briefly, then closed them back and turned to the side.

A knock was heard on the door. “Captain? It’s me, Phlox.”

Archer ran to the door to open it and let the Denobulan in.

“Where were you?” He demanded. “Did I tell you this was an _emergency_?”

Captain Archer’s embellishment came as no surprise to Phlox. He was known to get this way whenever someone he cared about was in danger...especially T’Pol. Phlox himself knew the chances of her illness being fatal were slim. Vulcans could recover from illness rather quickly, or at the very least not be so greatly affected.

As he pulled out his tricorder he told Archer, “Calm down. Your being upset won’t help either one of you. I’ll get her well, I promise. Now, what symptoms does she have?”

Jonathan held a hand up to his face in frustration. _How could Phlox choose this time to act so incompetent?_

“Look at her, Phlox! She’s practically unconscious! T’Pol couldn’t tell you where the hell we are! I think _that_ is symptom enough!”

 _I should have expected that one,_ Phlox said to himself. He merely apologized and scanned the Subcommander with his tricorder.

“The readings show a very high internal temperature, even by Vulcan standards.”

 _Well, I could have told_ me _that._ “That’s why she’s a little delirious?”

“And very near an unconscious state, yes.” He played with the tricorder a little more. “There’s also some sort of tree sap in her body. Perhaps she got into a bit of a scrap while scanning trees yesterday.”

T’Pol moved her head a little bit and opened her eyes to see who that was next to her. It was a new person there, and didn’t seem like Jonathan…

“Who’s there?” she asked in a quiet voice.

“It’s Doctor Phlox. Don’t worry. With a bit of extra care, you should be feeling better in no time.”

“Is Jonathan all right?”

A puzzled look came across both Phlox and Jonathan’s faces. Phlox continued on with his scan.

“I’m…er, fine. You’re the one that’s sick.” Archer knelt down on the floor by the bed next to her. Never had he seen her act this way and he was way beyond a little scared. He had heard that Vulcans only acted this way near death… He couldn’t stand that thought. “Oh, please be okay. Don’t leave me.”

Phlox cleared his throat rather loudly. Jonathan gave him a look, then Phlox continued with looking at tricorder readings, till something interesting popped up.

“Aha!”

“You found something?” Jonathan looked over Phlox’s shoulder to see the reading.

“I found it! The tree sap I found in her bloodstream matches that from a tree I scanned yesterday. Its thistles produced a moderate neurotoxin to most humanoids. It’s safe to assume Vulcans fall under that category, hmm? Now, just how did…”

Phlox was about to ask just how it got into her bloodstream as he picked up her hand and saw a tiny mark on her index finger--just large enough for a thistle to have caused it.

“That tiny mark?” Jonathan asked. “That was some neurotoxin. Doctor…if that little amount did all that, what could have happened if she had…” He did not want to even think about that.

Phlox sighed. “T’Pol is not like most Vulcans. Two years ago, her immune system could have blown this off with nothing more than a slight headache or a very slight fever at most. But, her Pa’Nar…”

He trailed off as he noticed Jonathan’s head faced the floor, his eyes closed. Phlox regretted mentioning this fact.

“I’m sorry for upsetting you, Captain. I didn’t mean to…”

“It’s my fault,” he stated with sorrow and anger apparent in each word. “I shouldn’t have told her to work with him. She knew he was dangerous, but…T’Pol was just following my suggestion…that bastard took advantage of her. I should have listened to her…”

Jonathan turned and wiped a tear away. Phlox looked at T’Pol, who lay almost still, save the moving of her head to the cooler side of the pillow. He sighed.

“You had no way of knowing, Captain. Your attitude towards Vulcans were a bit bias, to say the least, and you were just excited to see Vulcans that weren’t criticizing every move you made.”

For the first time, Jonathan Archer felt remorseful for his prejudice against the Vulcans.

“She wouldn’t blame you one bit…”

“Well, I’ll blame me for the both of us.”

Phlox decided this argument could wait a few more minutes. He opened his med kit, pulled out a hypospray and injected it into the side of her neck.

“That should alleviate the fever. As for the neurotoxin, the Vulcan body develops immunity to them once they’ve been in contact with one. For the best protection, it is usually best not to treat it unless it’s a severely life-threatening variety, which this one isn’t.”

“What about the Pa’Nar syndrome?” he asked, a little apprehensive. “You said her immunity isn’t as strong as before.”

“Perhaps not, but she’s still got a lot of life in her yet. I’ve been working on a cure, and my research is promising, Captain.”

Jonathan leaned against the wall, let out a sigh of relief and smiled. T’Pol opened her eyes and spoke a lot more clearly. She looked around the room to find Captain Archer and Doctor Phlox looking at her very worried.

“What happened?” She demanded. “The last thing I remember, you and I were dancing.”

Phlox tried not to smile at this thought. He simply looked at Jonathan’s face, which still looked a little frightened but very happy at her recovery.

“You were sick…you had a high fever. Phlox said it was caused by a neurotoxin. Just lie down and get some rest.”

She tried to get up, but found her energy was zip. Jonathan placed a hand on her shoulder to push her gently back to her pillow. T’Pol didn’t have the strength or energy to argue with him this time. She said nothing else and closed her eyes in an attempt to sleep, and soon drifted into slumber. Phlox took one last scan of her.

“Well, Captain, it seems she’ll be all right by the evening as long as she gets some rest.” Phlox smiled.

“She’s perfectly okay, Doctor? Maybe you can come check on her later on.”

“T’Pol will be fine.” It was always a source of amusement to the Doctor to see Captain Archer be so protective of her.

“I’m just glad she’s…not dying.” The words came out before he could stop them. Phlox looked at him with a keen eye.

“I thought you were an optimist, Captain!”

“In the midst of what I know, then yes, I am. But I didn’t have a clue what was wrong with her! One minute she’s up and the next…” he broke up a bit, as he began to choke on his words. “T’Pol was lying there, and she barely recognized me, Doctor. You know she can remember the tiniest facts off the top of her head. It scared me watching her tonight more than the thought of having a phase pistol shot at my head.”

Pause. Phlox grinned from ear to ear-literally.

“You…are in love with T’Pol! I saw it! I saw it in your eyes when you looked at her!” Phlox was well beyond his youth, but was a giddy as a twelve-year-old boy.

Archer did his best not to choke Phlox, since he had just save T’Pol’s life and continued to help look for a cure to her Pa’Nar syndrome since those bastards on Vulcan sure didn’t give a shit about it. But his imagination about the two of them was going a little too far. He and Trip both needed a long sit-down discussion about the chain of command.

“That was concern, Doctor…and that reminds me. T’Pol says you’ve been trying to convince her she’s in love with me. Care to explain why?”

Pause. He really hated this part of the job.

“That is a private matter. T’Pol would not be pleased if I shared that with you.”

“Well, stop it. She is not in love with me,” Jonathan said, “nor am I in love with her. There’s no sexual tension between us. We are two officers on a mission of good will and close friends, nothing more.”

“Hmm…” he said rather loudly.

Archer stared at Phlox with an angry scowl. “Okay then, Phlox. Let’s say for whatever crazy, unimaginable reason I did have…romantic feelings for her. I can’t act on them!”

Phlox shrugged. “Why not? She’s not Starfleet or part of the High Council.”

“That is hardly the point. T’Pol is Vulcan and more importantly, she may not wear either uniform but she’s still a part of my crew. I’m a lot looser on the rules than most captains, but that’s one line I won’t cross.” Archer paused for a moment, thinking about this one drawback of being a captain. Then he started back up again.

“This whole conversation is pointless! It’s ridiculous! T’Pol's Vulcan! Even if she did return those feelings, which I don’t have by the way, she would never admit them to herself or to me and we both know that!”

Phlox nodded in agreement. “You know her well, Captain. She reminds me of you at times.”

“What?!” Jonathan laughed at this. “Doctor, you’ve got to get out more often. We are, … _nothing_ alike.”

“No, T’Pol and Commander Tucker are nothing alike. You and she, however, are not so much different from each other as you’d like to think. For example, you’re both rather stubborn!”

“Phlox, I could write you up for insubordination!” he whispered loudly. Jonathan tried not to yell, so T’Pol could sleep…she was right over there….

“She might be listening to this! I don’t want her to get any ideas about me!”

“Well, why not?” Phlox questioned. “If you have no romantic feelings for her, it shouldn’t matter whether she thinks you’re attracted to her or not. She’s Vulcan. She’d never show you affection anyhow!”

“You know why it matters? I’ll tell you--because I worked damn hard to earn her respect and I’m not going to throw it all away because of my feelings about her may be a little more personal than the rest of the crew!”

“So you’re saying you _do_ care about her?”

“Yes, Phlox!”

Pause.

“I mean, um…” Archer was losing this fight, and he knew it. “Damnit, I’m the captain! I don’t have to argue about this!”

But Phlox wasn’t ready to end this just yet. He put on his best face, as he hoped Captain Archer was about to face his feelings about her once and for all.

“Captain, if these feelings for T’Pol didn’t exist, you wouldn’t have kept the argument going for as long as you did trying to convince me otherwise. With all respect, you didn’t do a good job of it, either.”

This remark was met with silence. Jonathan could have ended this argument a long while ago, and if he were a stricter captain this conversation would never have taken place. Gee, she was nearly on her deathbed just a few moments ago and now all that was on his mind was setting the two of them up together! _Enterprise_ was not the Love Connection! Archer took a deep breath.

“Phlox,” he placed a hand on his shoulder and took his time with the words. He made sure T’Pol couldn’t hear. “I’ll let you in on a secret. I think T’Pol is a very attractive woman. She’s beautiful.”

“You think she’s pretty?” he asked with a grin.

“Yes, Phlox, she’s…pretty. Does that make you happy?”

“I’d be happier if you told the Subcommander she was pretty.” Phlox was being sincere by this remark, but the grin on his face made him look to Jonathan like a smart ass.

At this point, Jonathan Archer was sleep deprived, irritated and very pissed off. It was bad enough he had to listen to Trip go on about the swim lesson and what T’Pol was wearing for it at dinner--which he didn’t even get to eat--but not with his doctor and not at this late an hour. Jonathan took four wide steps over to the door and opened it.

“Out,” he told him in a demanding tone of voice.

Phlox was more than ready to leave, having said what he wanted to say. He looked over at T’Pol one last time and headed for the door.

“Ah, that is a lovely dress she’s wearing.”

“So I’ve noticed. _Out_.”

“Yes, sir.” He took another two steps toward the exit before he continued. “I’ve heard from several of our female crewmembers that your strong, confident manner is quite attractive.”

“That’s nice,” he snapped sharply and tilted his head towards the exit. “Get out. That’s an order.”

Phlox said nothing else as he walked out the door, which Jonathan slammed very forcefully behind him as soon as he was out the doorframe. The loud noise woke T’Pol from her sleep. In the heat of the argument, he’d forgotten that T’Pol was a very light sleeper. For all he knew, she may have heard every word Phlox said.

“I’m sorry for disturbing you, T’Pol. Phlox was trying to be a matchmaker again. He should change his name to Yenta.”

“Yenta?”

Jonathan shut off the lights and moved over to the other unoccupied side of the rather large bed. He lay down on top of the covers. T’Pol turned over to face him, not making any gesture to move him away.

“Yenta. She was a character from an old musical called “Fiddler on the Roof.” It’s about the Jewish community and their struggle to keep their traditions alive in the midst of change. Yenta was a matchmaker who arranged marriages. Are there matchmakers on Vulcan?”

“Our parents arrange marriages,” she said, “but I’m sure the process of selecting a mate for a child must be similar in both cultures.” _Although it is much easier to get out of an arrangement on Earth…_

“Perhaps I’ll suggest it to Trip for Movie Night. You’ll like it.”

She said nothing, but continued to look into his green eyes, which she could still see in the dark room.

“How are you feeling?”

“I’m not delirious anymore, if that’s what you mean.”

“That’s good to hear,’ he told her. “And you’re fever’s gone down.”

Jonathan placed a hand on her cheek to check this and T’Pol took her hand and placed it over his. She had done this to push his hand away, but for some reason unbeknown to her conscious mind she stopped. Jonathan’s heart skipped a beat, but he’d deny it to anyone had they asked about it. After about five seconds he pulled it away and T’Pol reluctantly let go.

“I guess I had better let you sleep,” he said and turned over on his back to face the ceiling. “Good night.”

“Good night, Captain.”

“I told you not to call me that for this week.”

“I apologize. Good night, Jonathan.”

Jonathan closed his eyes without realizing it. He hadn’t planned on falling asleep on the bed next to her, but he was very tired. With T’Pol being out of the woods, he was able to calm himself quite a bit and relax enough to get some decent rest after a trying night.

Meanwhile, T’Pol attempted to fall back asleep, but found it difficult. She did feel tired, but she had many thoughts racing through her head.

While she was still in a delirious state of being, her mind went back to past events in her life, the first of which being when her parents took her to meet her former fiancée Kos. T’Pol wasn’t much older than ten at the time, but she sat quietly as both their parents made the arrangements. She and Kos had said very little to one another that day.

Fifty years later, the date of the wedding grew nearer. At this time, T’Pol had been on _Enterprise_ , and going back meant leaving the ship and her assignment as well. It should have been a clear-cut decision to return home to Vulcan. Her assignment wasn’t supposed to last as long as it had. T’Pol had not considered the approaching wedding date when she agreed to stay as Captain Archer’s science officer.

Had it not been for Commander Tucker decoding her mail, she may very well have left _Enterprise_ and be married this day. There may have been many differences in her life-the most notable being she would not have the Pa’Nar syndrome—and she may not have come back to serve aboard _Enterprise_ again after the traditional year with her spouse. She wouldn’t be here with Jonathan.

Her mind then skipped to something that she had never seen and never thought about.

They were in her quarters—Tolaris, Captain Archer and herself.  Tolaris had the Captain pinned to the ground and looked quite angry. A Vulcan was very hard to beat in physical combat when angered as much as Tolaris looked in her dream. She stood a few feet away from the dogfight.

“She’s mine,” Tolaris growled.

“No,” Captain Archer replied right back at him.

Why would he put himself out there like that? This was foolish for Captain Archer to take on someone that much stronger than himself!”

“Jonathan!” T’Pol yelled with about as much passion as a Vulcan could allow themselves to show. She felt on the edge of tears, but she knew crying wouldn’t help this situation.

He looked at her, and with a burst of strength knocked Tolaris on his behind. Archer grabbed Tolaris’s shirt and landed a solid punch in his face. He fell over instantly. Captain Archer had won. He had actually won the fight, and was safe.

“I did it for you,” he stated simply.

She simply walked over and they embraced.

This is where Phlox’s medicine began to kick in and the visions ended, but T’Pol found the memory was as hard to shake as her prior sexual fantasies about him. She opened her eyes to find Jonathan was still there next to her on the bed, asleep. He looked very peaceful.

The argument they had had that evening before going to dinner seemed very trivial in the scheme of their friendship. Captain Archer had been there to protect her two years ago when Tolaris attacked her. He had set up the hearing to keep her on _Enterprise_ when the Vulcan Medical Directorate threatened to tell the High Council about her illness—no. More importantly, Jonathan Archer had made her fight for her right.  _You were attacked,_ he had told her, _and you shouldn’t have to be punished again for it._

T’Pol may not be able to recall most of that night, but she knew he had been by her side the past few hours. She would gladly return the favor if he needed it.

“I’ve never expressed my gratitude for the things you’re done for me,” she leaned over and whispered to him, although he could not hear. “Thank you.”

Being near him was calming to her. T’Pol moved over a few centimeters and placed her head on his shoulder and her arms around his. She fell asleep instantly, paying no attention to the smell. Jonathan shifted his arms and wrapped them around her as well.

***

_It was a wide-open meadow, the perfect place for a picnic. The only trees around the two of them were Japanese plum trees, covered with cherry blossoms. A few of the blossoms fell on them, but neither really minded. One of the larger blossoms fell behind T’Pol’s ear. She went to pull it out._

“ _No,” he told her. “Leave it there. It looks beautiful on you.”_

“ _Vulcans don’t indulge in vanity,” she quipped, but left the flower where it was. Her lips turned up into a slight smile._

“ _Hey…you smiled just now,” he commented. How pretty she did look…_

_Her expression changed back, but it was far too late._

“ _Vulcans do not smile.”_

“ _You do,” he remarked with a wide grin. He advanced towards her and grabbed her by the waist, pulling her face next to his. “Are you going to smile again?”_

“ _I didn’t smile a first time.” Her eyes were wide with shock at this action and pleasure at the same time._

_Archer let out a quick laugh, and T’Pol smiled again._

“ _There it is! I knew you could smile!”_

_She looked into his eyes for two seconds before placing her arms around his neck and kissing him. Before either one of them knew it, Jonathan had  placed T’Pol on her back and lay on top of her. His hands had found the zipper to disrobe her, but he didn’t feel any urge to make love. Instead, Jonathan broke off their impromptu make-out session and ran a hand through her hair. T’Pol did nothing to discourage this as he gazed into her eyes. He smiled._

“ _I love you,” he told her._

Jonathan opened his eyes slightly at this part. There was a fair amount of light, so he knew it was daylight in spite of the fact his eyes weren’t completely opened, and something was in his arms, but he figured it was Porthos.

The fact he’d dreamt about T’Pol wasn’t unusual to him anymore. The fact that they’d kissed didn’t even shock him as much as it used to. But those three little words he had told her…that had never been part of any of his dreams before. Boy, Phlox had a way of making things stick in his head. Jonathan rolled over onto his back. _Boy, Porthos is heavy…._

He opened his eyes, looked straight in front of him and got the biggest surprise in his life. There, in his arms, was T’Pol. Her hands were placed on his chest and she had her head right below his chin. That was when he realized he had been holding her the entire night!

The motion of Archer shifting her unwittingly caused T’Pol to stir.

 _Oh, shit!_ He screamed in his head. How did this happen? More importantly, why the hell did he fall asleep next to her anyway?!

Before he could set her back down and get out the bed, T’Pol woke up completely. For a moment, she wondered why she was curled up in this position…then it hit her. She had advanced on him late that night, while he was sleeping; a violation of protocol, although she wasn’t sure why his hands were on her back. She looked up at him with a bit of fear in her eyes and was met with confusion from his.

“Um…I don’t know how this, um…er, how we got this way…” he stammered. _Oh, God, how she must feel about this compromising situation._

With a rather large shove, T’Pol pushed herself off of him and stepped out the bed. He took it as her being ticked off at him, and he couldn’t blame her; they should have never done that. _He_ shouldn’t have done that.

T’Pol felt incredibly ridiculous for the first time in her sixty-two years of life. Not even when she had tried that mind meld with Tolaris had she felt so foolish. She brushed the front of the dress down to smooth out both the wrinkles and her nerves for being seen in that position. Her face was a little pale.

“It could have been worse—not that it makes it any better for me to…” he commented, trying to make conversation. “We could have… _slept_ together. Or …um, Commander Tucker could have seen us and told everyone who’d listen.”

Silence. T’Pol stared at him, and Jonathan got even more nervous.

“Ahh…you’re pissed at me.”

“I am not angry with you.”

“I’m still sorry anyway. Listen, I won’t speak of it if you don’t. No one else is gonna know.”

“Agreed,” she answered back in a monotone. Her face became a little flushed as she began to look away.

There was another awkward moment of silence. Jonathan pointed to the bathroom.

“Ladies first,” he told her. T’Pol turned her back to him with more stoicism than usual and went into the bathroom for her morning shower.

 _That was thoughtless of me,_ she thought to herself. _I should not have made such an intimate gesture like that, even if the Captain was asleep._ T’Pol was honestly surprised he hadn’t mentioned writing her up for trying to fraternize with him in that fashion. She wasn’t even certain why she had done that in the first place. Perhaps she had not recovered completely from the affects of the fever. That was the only possible excuse to do something like this.

The fever…Phlox had missed something in his scans of her prior to leaving _Enterprise_ , and her illness was proof. While she was still at a loss as to why Captain Archer was in her thoughts so frequently of late, she knew she didn’t have to worry about that feverish sensation she got around him coming back. She had simply been ill; therefore she, T’Pol, was not in love with Jonathan Archer, which was logical, because he lacked the mental discipline she would require from a mate.

***

 _Well Jonathan, you’ve really blown it with her this time,_ he thought to himself. The fact that he himself could get written up for fraternization escaped his mind.

Why had he done that? They shouldn’t even have been in the bed together in the first place. Sure, nothing beyond that happened. But still, some lines were crossed that shouldn’t have been crossed. Damn Phlox and his ridiculous ideas. Oh, if Trip were here to see that, he’d never hear the end of it…Trip…he had asked T’Pol out to dinner for that night. Well, T’Pol had an excuse not to go…Jonathan didn’t like the way Trip had acted with her last night, and he didn’t want her going through that again…

“Tucker to Archer,” the communicator chirped. _Speak of the Devil_ , Jonathan thought. He picked through his pocket to find it, as he hadn’t changed his clothing from last night.

“Archer here. Hey, Trip.”

“Jonathan, there’s a cool sauna-like place up on that mountain that I thought you might want to hike up an’ see with me an’ Malcolm. You up for it?”

“I can’t, Trip. T’Pol got very sick last night, so I’m gonna stay here with her to make sure she’s all right. That also means she won’t be having dinner with you,” Jonathan added tactfully.

“What dinner?” Jonathan closed his eyes in irritation. Here he was worrying about her all night and Trip couldn’t remember a simple dinner!

“The dinner you invited her to last night!”

“Oh…Oh!” Trip finally remembered what he said to her before attempting to leave before he got killed. “About that…it was, um, a bit of a joke….even if I was serious, do you really think T’Pol would go for me?”

“She had me questioning that last night.”

Trip covered his mouth to prevent him from hearing him laugh. “She was dancin’ real close to me ’cause she had a headache! She doesn’t like me, and that I’m certain of.”

Archer relaxed a little bit at that remark. “Of course not…I don’t know what I was thinking…”

“Perhaps you want her for yourself?”

“Trip,” He warned.

“All right, all right. I gotta go meet Malcolm and Hoshi real soon, so I’ll talk to ya later.”

“Sure Trip….Oh, before you go, I was wondering if we had “Fiddler on the Roof” in the Movie Database? It’s a suggestion for Movie Night next week.”

“Well…I wanted to have a more romantic movie next week. About a guy who denies having feelings for a woman that he thinks he can’t have--”

Jonathan growled and closed his communicator up. Porthos ran up to him and he picked the little dog up.

“Would you like a mommy?” he asked him, making sure to speak low so T’Pol couldn’t hear him. “ I bet you’d like T’Pol to be your mommy, wouldn’t you boy?” He made his special puppy voice that was reserved only for Porthos.

 _Well, Porthos,_ he said to himself, _I think I want T’Pol to be your mommy too._

 


	9. Cabin Fever

Trip looked at his communicator as the comm link with Jonathan went silent.

“Well, that a ’lil rude to hang up on someone in a middle of a sentence,” he said to himself. But even Trip knew he deserved it, and was lucky Jonathan hadn’t kicked his ass for kissing T’Pol last night, even if it was on the cheek. Seeing that she was sick, however, Jonathan had probably forgotten how pissed off he was at him.

 _So, Jon’s gonna stay and play nursemaid to T’Pol, huh?_ He thought. _Good luck with that._ Trip knew how stubborn she was with accepting any kind of help, especially if she was sick. Always tryin’ to do everything herself, she was.

On that note, He stood up to head for the lake to meet Malcolm and Hoshi and hopefully get _those_ two together.

***

 As T’Pol put on the last of her clothing before stepping out the restroom, she had thought about waking up in his arms in that fashion. Upon recalling the incident, she felt foolish for making such an advance on her superior officer, which she could soon forget. However, there was one thought that persisted—she had felt much too comfortable lying there with him like that.

Logic was telling the Vulcan that her illness was to blame for her lapse in better judgment. She had been recovering from a high fever and her mind may have still being the effects of it. Yet there still was the persistence of the thought about the fact that she needed to reach out to him. Jonathan had helped her to get through the night and that other night two years ago when she had been attacked. Maybe she had found it comforting that she had a friend there when she needed one.

 _But that all it is: friendship,_ T’Pol told herself. _There cannot be anything more between us. Jonathan--Captain Archer--is my superior officer. I would not risk jeopardizing Jonathan’s career because of my personal feelings for him-- If they were to exist,_ she added. _It would be best for our platonic relationship to put this morning’s events behind me._

She picked up her bag and stepped out the door. T’Pol found Jonathan sitting on the edge of the bed with the communicator in hand.

“That was Trip calling,” he said. “He was just inviting me to go a hike, but I declined.” Archer purposely left out the part about canceling her dinner plans.

“I thought you enjoyed physical activities,” she said.

He nodded. “I do, I do, but there are more important things I have to take care of.”

“Such as?”

“Well, I have to make sure you’re going to be fine,” he replied with a smile. Jonathan made sure to keep his hands to himself when he said this.

“I am fine, Jonathan. You should go catch up with Commander Tucker. You should enjoy your shore leave. You _are_ the Captain.”

“I also have the responsibility to look out for the well being of the eighty-two people under my command,” he told her, “and that includes during shore leave. Now get over there and get some rest.” He nodded in the direction of the bed. She looked at him for about two seconds before she turned around to lie down.

If there was one thing T’Pol did not enjoy, it was being incapacitated. It further frustrated her when she felt fine and Captain Archer insisted she get rest…such as this shore leave, for example. She didn’t need a break from her work. But perhaps it was fortunate she did come on shore leave; it would have been difficult to reach Phlox from _Enterprise_ when she became ill. And Jonathan wouldn’t have been there next to her, worrying about her…

She was perfectly fine now, and didn’t wish to stay still for the entire day.

“Do you have any preference for breakfast?” Jonathan asked her.

“The usual should suffice. Don’t add any sweetener.”

He nodded. “You just lie still.”

T’Pol gave off a little bit of a pout. Archer thought he imagined it, but knew she didn’t want to be there.

“Sorry,” he added. “Doctor’s orders.” He walked out.

T’Pol heard a rustling noise coming from the direction of Jonathan’s bag and leaned over to the side of the bed to investigate. There, with his head buried deep in the bag, was Porthos.

“Porthos!” she yelled in a firm voice. “Get out of that bag. Captain Archer will not appreciate you rummaging through his belongings.”

The Beagle had no interest in Jonathan’s belongings. He dug in the bag until he had found his favorite toy: a Frisbee. Porthos trotted up to the edge of the bed where T’Pol was and set it down for her. She knew what the dog wanted to do: he wanted to be outdoors, running without restraint. She did have a bit of empathy for his situation, but would never tell anyone about it. He sat and looked up with hopeful eyes and wagged his tail in excitement.

T’Pol looked out the glass door. There was a lot of space between the room and the shoreline. And she wouldn’t have to leave the room, either. She picked up the Frisbee and walked to the glass door.

***

Jonathan finished fixing their breakfast and turned around to see Ensign Sato walking into the lobby with a rather wide package in her hands, followed by Malcolm. He went over to greet them.

“Hey, you guys. What brings you here?”

“Captain, I was hoping you knew where Subcommander T’Pol’s room was,” Hoshi answered. “This is a gift I bought her.”

“For her birthday,” Malcolm added.

Jonathan was a little puzzled. He was never good with date, but he distinctly remembered celebrating it last year in the next month. He already had been thinking about what he may buy her for it. But now…

“Hoshi, you’re a bit mistaken. Her birthday isn’t for another month.”

She smiled. “The Vulcan calendar is very different from ours. It falls on a different day each year on our Earth calendar. Last year was a leap year on Vulcan, so they added an extra month, which is why it’s a little early, sir.”

Jonathan nodded in agreement. “Makes sense. She didn’t tell me it was her birthday today.”

“It’s not today. It’s the day after tomorrow, but I thought she could use a early gift.”

Malcolm noticed her smile got extra wide while speaking with the captain. _Perhaps she’s just being nice with a senior officer,_ he told himself, not wanting to seem jealous. He glanced over to the window and blinked in astonishment as he saw…a _beagle_ of all things running after a Frisbee. _Now how in the world did that happen?_ Then he realized there were no beagles native to this planet!

“Captain,” Malcolm cut in and pointed to the dog. “That looks a lot like Porthos, doesn’t it?”

Jonathan looked out the window-and he knew only one person who would possibly be playing with him…

“Lieutenant, hold this. Come with me, both of you.”

He practically ran up to his room. Hoshi and Malcolm followed close behind and wondered in silence as to how Porthos got out. It was fortunate he discovered Porthos when he did. Neither suspected that Subcommander T’Pol, a rigid, cold Vulcan, would be standing outside the room, engaging in a game of Frisbee with a lower life form. Hoshi turned to look at Malcolm as he set the tray with the bowls down on the coffee table.

“T’Pol, I thought I told you to get some rest,” he told her.

T’Pol turned around and stepped aside so Porthos could walk in.

“He needed some exercise.” She handed Jonathan the Frisbee.

“Thank you, T’Pol, but it could have waited. You need your rest.”

Hoshi stepped over to T’Pol and handed her the package. “It’s for you. I know your birthday’s in two days, so I got you something.”

“That was not necessary, Ensign. Nevertheless, I will express my gratitude for your thoughtfulness.” T’Pol herself had nearly forgotten about her birthday. There were no celebrations of one’s day of birth on Vulcan; it was simply a day when one got older. She was a bit curious as to what Ensign Sato got for her.

“You may open it today, if you like.”

“We had better get going, Hoshi,” Reed told her. “Can we take a shortcut?” He asked and pointed to the glass door.

“By all means, Malcolm. Have fun, you two. Tell Trip I said hi.”

“Aye, sir.” The two of them made their quiet exit and Archer turned to face T’Pol.

“T’Pol, you didn’t go though my things, did you?”

“No. Your bag was open and Porthos found it on his own. He insisted I play with him.” She looked down at the dog, who was now sitting quietly by Jonathan’s feet. “He is very fast, I might add.”

“Most beagles are,” he replied. “Now you have to lay down. Go on, now.” She did so promptly. “There you go. Don’t worry about a thing. I’m going outside to play with Porthos, since he seems he wants to get out. You stay put.”

T’Pol turned to face the glass door, where Captain Archer was going out of. He threw the Frisbee, but Porthos just sat there.

“Go get it, boy!” she heard him tell Porthos. “Go get it! Um…fetch!” Porthos finally relented and walked to the Frisbee and took his time returning with it.

“What’s gotten into you, Porthos? You were playing with T’Pol a few minutes ago. You don’t want to play anymore?”

As if he understood what Jonathan just said, he walked in with the Frisbee in his mouth and jumped up in the bed next to T’Pol. Porthos dropped the Frisbee next to her. She looked at him, then up at Jonathan, who was rather confused.

“I guess he likes you. You know he would leave off the bed when you were sick last night until Phlox came. He got pretty mad at me for trying to move him away from you.”

Her eyes widened slightly. “That is most unusual.”

Jonathan shrugged Porthos’s behavior off and got the tray and took T’Pol’s breakfast to her.

“I could have gotten it for myself.”

“Yeah, I know. I told you to rest, and I’m gonna make sure you do that.” He sat the tray in her lap and watched her as she began to eat. He sat down on the edge of the bed, making sure to keep a little distance between the two of them.

“You know on Earth,” he began, “they have bed and breakfast suites. The people serve you breakfast in bed.”

“That doesn’t sound practical.”

“Those are mostly reserved for romantic getaways,” he told her. T’Pol looked up at him and he got nervous. “Um…but that’s not my intentions for today—about the romance things, or, um...anything.” He stood up and walked to the other side of the room rather quickly. She assumed he was nervous because he thought she was attracted to him, which she clearly was not.

“I assure you I don’t have romantic feelings for you, even if it may have seemed otherwise this morning,” she said quietly. Jonathan turned to face her.

“I know you don’t. I was very, very out of line for what I did last night.” How they got in that position was still a bit of a mystery to him. He distinctly remembered talking about Phlox and his silly notions, then turning on his back. Meanwhile, it was just dawning on T’Pol that Captain Archer believed _he_ had made the advance towards _her!_

“Jonathan, I must tell you something.” She stood up. “It was I that…came on to you, as the term goes.”

He stood silent for two seconds, and then laughed. “I don’t remember that somehow.”

“You were asleep.” She blinked once slowly, and looked away. She blushed slightly.

“Don’t worry about it, T’Pol,” he told her. “That neurotoxin you came in contact with yesterday was very…scary, to say the least. You couldn’t even hold a conversation…”

“Yesterday?” She asked with curiosity. Captain Archer had yet to tell her about how she became ill.

He nodded. “Yeah, while you were scanning yesterday. You pricked your finger on a thistle that produced the neurotoxin.”

T’Pol looked down at her finger and sure enough, there was evidence to support that.

“So you’re telling me my fever was the cause of a neurotoxin I came into contact with yesterday?”

“That’s what Phlox says.”

T’Pol turned a little pale. Jonathan noticed this immediately. “You’re feeling bad again. Now, get some rest.”

“I’m fine,” she told him but knew it would be futile to argue otherwise with him. Upon her return to bed, she eyed the _Crime and Punishment_ book she had started on yesterday. “Jonathan, if you insist upon my staying rested today, I might as well finish that story I started on yesterday.”

“Go right ahead,” he replied and handed the book to her. “I guess I should catch up on some sleep, too.” He placed his bowl down on the coffee table and stretched out on the sofa. “Wake me up in a few hours.”

“Very well.”

Jonathan quickly closed his eyes and was asleep in moments.

About an hour later, T’Pol looked up from the top of the book and glanced for a moment at Jonathan. Suddenly, her mind went back to what he said caused her fever last night. The neurotoxin had only been in her body for several hours. It caused her fever to rise to a high temperature over the course of those several hours, along with her headache she experienced at dinner.

That explained her illness last night, as well not remembering anything beyond 2200 hours until Phlox came to visit.

But if this neurotoxin had been in her system for about twenty-four hours, it could not have been the cause of her sudden feverish sensations she had experienced in the days leading up to that. And oddly enough, this only occurred around Captain Archer or when he was in her thoughts…most of which involved the both of them in a compromising position.

She briefly pushed that thought aside and diverted her attention to the package Ensign Sato had left for her. It was rather large, but not very heavy. T’Pol knew it was customary to wait until one’s actual date of birth to open their gifts, but Ensign Sato _had_ told her she may open it earlier. Seeing as her patience lately had been a little short, T’Pol chose to open it now.

And you could imagine the surprise T’Pol felt when she saw Ensign Sato had bought her a new outfit.

This wasn’t any outfit, mind you; it resembled a red cocktail dress, as the hem came down to her calves. The top part came a little off-the-shoulder. As she lay the dress down, T’Pol found there was a note at the bottom of the box. She picked it up and read it:

_Hey, Subcommander-Happy Birthday! Don’t look too sexy for Captain Archer!_

     – _Hoshi Sato and Malcolm Reed_

T’Pol raised an eyebrow at this most unusual behavior from Lieutenant Reed and Ensign Sato. She may have expected a gesture like this from Commander Tucker, but not them. Of course, she had no idea the two of them had some very strong drinks after they left from the café last night. Upon their sobering up, they each thought the other would have removed the note from the box, but obviously that was not the case. (A/n: There will be more of this in ESV’s sister series “The Enterprise Holiday.”)

She hastily stuck the note into the _Crime and Punishment_ book on the page she had been reading. T’Pol had had enough of sitting around, and decided to go out for a run before Jonathan woke up. If she returned before that time, he will think she had gotten the rest she didn’t need and his concern for her health would lessen. Perhaps then he would begin to enjoy his shore leave. T’Pol changed into attire which was more suited for running, and headed out.

Porthos watched her as she left out the door, and scratched at it, wanting to join her. However, he wasn’t quite tall enough to reach the handle. Perhaps his daddy could do it for him…

***

“Ah, nothing like a good ol’ sit-down in a hot tub,” Trip said to Malcolm as he sat down in the hot tub. It was located in the open at the top of the mountain, and the heat from the water amongst the nippy condition of the higher altitude caused it to be rather foggy. He saw Malcolm didn’t look too relaxed standing over the tub. “Hey, C’mon. The water’s great!”

“I’m quite alright here, thank you very much.” The Englishman took two steps away. “I don’t need a spa to relax.”

Trip eyed him.

“Malcolm, are you afraid of the water?!”

Reed’s eyes grew big, and he looked to see if Hoshi was anywhere nearby.

“Hoshi’s not around here. Now, come on and tell me about this. Perhaps Doctor Tucker can cure ya.” Malcolm sighed and sat down, placing a firm grip on the edge of the tub. He lowered his voice.

“Well, if you really must know, I am afraid of drowning. It’s why I didn’t join the British Navy.”

“Makes sense,” Trip remarked. “I suppose it’s a good thing you serve on _Enterprise._ ”

“Why’s that?”

“Well, if you were in the Navy, you would have never met Hoshi…and fallen in love.” Tucker turned away as Malcolm Reed, normally a pale man, turned a bright red. He climbed into the water and neared Trip.

“Trip Tucker, you had better not mention that to her, or I’ll pummel you so hard your grandfather will feel it.” His eyes were unusually serious, even for him. Trip, who was able to egg on Jonathan the night before, got the feeling that Malcolm would actually follow through with this. He merely told him:

“I think she likes you, too, Malcolm.” Reed laughed. “No, really! Do you see the way she looked at you when she saw you without your shirt?”

“She wasn’t looking at me, Malcolm. She’s at least ten years younger than me _and_ I out rank her. Hoshi is not that type of girl.”

“Well, you never know. I mean, I didn’t think T’Pol could be so…” Trip stopped talking immediately, and Malcolm continued to look at him, wanting more.

“So…?” he asked. Trip shook his head.

“Never mind. T’Pol’s my superior officer, and I should shut my mouth.”

Malcolm’s eyes brightened. “Last night, I took a picture of her and the captain, and I think you’ll find it rather amusing. I have it saved on my camera if you’d like to see.” He let out a grin and Trip joined him.

“Hey boys.” They looked up to see Hoshi in a bikini, and suddenly Trip wished Malcolm wasn’t one of his closest friends. She smiled and stepped in, sitting very close to Malcolm. His face was in a very wide smile. “So, what were you discussing?”

“I just told Trip about that picture I took of T’Pol and the captain last night. I bet you want to tell him about the gift we bought her and the note we attached with it,” he said while laughing. Malcolm couldn’t ignore the fact that her top lift very little to him imagination...and he did have an imagination!

“Oh, yeah…we bought this cocktail dress late last night and placed a note in there telling her not to be too sexy for the captain.” They all laughed at this. “Well, we came to our senses about the note, though. Malcolm, you removed that note, right?”

He shook his head. “No, I’m afraid not, Hoshi.”

She stiffened and said after a pause, “Um…I didn’t remove it.”

Silence.

***

Jonathan awoke and found Porthos licking him on the face.

“Ack! Get off, boy. What’s gotten into you?” He sat up, wondering why T’Pol had not stopped Porthos from jumping up on him, then looked around and realized T’Pol was not in the room.

 _Damnit, she’s always doing that!_ He thought. _I told her to rest because it’s for her own good!_ It was then that he remembered they had this same argument yesterday, and that was why he left out the room! He’d have to go out a find her before anything happened. Luckily, a dog’s nose was a very useful tracking device. Jonathan grabbed the pillow she had laid on and held it up to Porthos.

“Go find her, boy.”

Porthos immediately ran to the glass door and scratched at it. He opened it and Porthos took off immediately around the lake and began to bark as the scent trail got stronger. Porthos led Jonathan to the other side of the lake, and around a bush upon which T’Pol was resting for a slight moment. Her back was turned to him.

“There you are.”

The sight of Jonathan and Porthos startled her. She pushed off the bush and faced him.

“I went for some exercise,” she told him. “I become agitated when I am not active. I thought you would be asleep for a while longer.”

He rolled his eyes and placed a hand on her shoulder. “I think you’ve been active enough today. Now, I’m taking you back to the room and you’re gonna get some rest, starting now.”

Without thinking much on it, Jonathan put his arm squarely around her shoulders and used the other one to lift her legs up from the ground completely. She gasped. Needless to say, T’Pol had not expected this gesture.

“What are you doing?” She demanded, very shocked.

“I’m carrying you back to the room. It’s not that far. Hold on to me.”

She did as he told her, noting that from her view she could tell he had not shaved that morning. However the look suited his features perfectly. That feverish feeling came back again, and she sighed quietly as she rested her head on his shoulder.

“Jonathan, if one of the crew saw us like this, they may get the wrong impression.”

“I think the crew is a little more mature than that, T’Pol.” _Even if I do doubt that is the case with Commander Tucker._

She was tempted to mention the note that came with her gift, but seeing as neither Ensign Sato nor Lieutenant Reed were prone to fits of reckless behavior, T’Pol decided to ignore it. She didn’t wish for Jonathan to become upset about them as well. T’Pol felt Jonathan’s grip on her firm up slightly as he tried to hold her up. It was rather comfortable.

When the two of them arrived outside of the hotel, Jonathan stopped in his tracks. There, in front of them, was Fellis. He turned around and waved at the two of them. Jonathan, with T’Pol in his arms, was unable to respond. He blushed as he came over to them.

“Ah, Captain,” he said. “Nice to see you, T’Pol.” Fellis pulled one hand of T’Pol’s aside and kissed it. She jerked it away hastily and gave him a cold stare. Jonathan, for a slight moment, wanted to kick his ass. “I was just in town, gathering a few supplies for my party. I do hope the both of you can still attend.”

Jonathan looked at her. T’Pol nodded. “We will be there.”

“Glad to hear it,” Fellis smiled, “because I don’t think he’d enjoy it much if you weren’t there. You’re a very pretty lady, heh heh heh.”

T’Pol and Archer turned at looked at each other, and he placed her down on the ground. Jonathan scratched his neck and let out a nervous laugh. In all the events of last night, he hadn’t told T’Pol about the party, and had nearly forgotten about it himself.

“I told you, we’re just friends.” Jonathan put on his best smile as T’Pol continued to watch the both of them. Fellis pat him on the back and whispered:

“Just because you say it doesn’t mean it’s true.” He let out a loud laugh and walked off. “See you tonight! Ha ha ha!”

Jonathan hung his head low and laughed as well. “Man, these Jyorans are some type of people. Makes us humans look like you at times…no offence,” he added quickly.

“None taken, Jonathan,” she replied as she smooth out her outfit.

“Come on, let’s go inside.” The two of them walked in and T’Pol spoke.

“Jonathan, your friend mentioned a party that you apparently knew about. When were you invited?”

“Um…last night. I nearly forgot about it. I’m surprised you want to go to it.”

“Social events are one way of finding out more about a species.”

This was only partially true; T’Pol wanted Jonathan to enjoy some part of his shore leave, and she did not wish to stay in the room alone. Of course, if Jonathan even thought she might get sick again, he would most likely not go.

“Speaking of parties,” he continued, “Hoshi tells me you have a birthday in two days.”

“Correct.”

“Why didn’t you tell me?” He asked as he opened the door to their room.

“Vulcans do not celebrate our birthdays, and I didn’t want you to have a surprise party for me again this year.”

Last year Jonathan, along with Trip’s prodding and poking, had arranged a surprise birthday party for T’Pol. She had never attended a human party before, and was very unfamiliar with birthday customs, least of all the types of drinks they were serving. And while she did appreciate the gesture, she didn’t want another party in her honor, and she told Jonathan this the next morning…after the Bacardi wore off.

“It’d be a little hard to arrange a surprise party on such short notice,” he chuckled. However, he did want very much to do something nice for her. He made a plan to go into town early tomorrow morning to pick out a gift for her.

T’Pol sat on the edge of the bed. Jonathan looked over from the sofa and saw the dress lying on the bed. “Did Hoshi get you that?”

“She and Lieutenant Reed both did.” T’Pol watched as Jonathan nodded.

_Wow, that’s a pretty dress…I wonder what it looks like on her…._

“Perhaps I should wear it for the party tonight. The one hosted by…” T’Pol suddenly realized she had not learned his name.

“Fellis. His name’s Fellis. You say you’ll try it on?” His eyes lit up in spite of himself, and he felt a sudden excitement. Jonathan nodded slightly and tried counting to ten in his head silently to calm himself. However, it was not enough to keep T’Pol from noticing this change and feeling a bit flattered.

“If you are so eager for me to do so. I must decide on something to wear to the party anyhow.” She picked the garment off the bed and took it with her into the bathroom, wondering how Jonathan would react upon seeing her in the dress.

Upon putting it on, T’Pol found it to be a little…revealing, in certain parts of her anatomy. She found that the cut of the top portion of the dress made her bosom seem somewhat more ample than it was. She also remembered that human males were very attracted to females with an ample bosom. _I would like to see how Jonathan to react,_ she found herself wondering. _However, I do not want him to think I want any advances made towards me, because I do not. I am not attracted to him, nor is he attracted to me. Jonathan is still the captain, after all._

Jonathan moved from the sofa to the edge of the bed facing the bathroom door, waiting for her to come out. _Well, it can’t be more revealing that what she normally wears,_ Jonathan reasoned in his head. _I mean, who doesn’t want to see a woman in a tight-fitting catsuit? It doesn’t leave much to the imagination. Especially if she were to wear one that was flesh-colored…Oh, Jonathan Archer, you have got to stop that thought right now! T’Pol’s my friend and she’s Vulcan and it will just not happen. I can look at her when she steps out that door and not have thoughts of getting her out of that dress…_

He at the _Crime and Punishment_ book sitting on the nightstand and saw that T’Pol was about a fifth of the way done with the book. Next to that was the one about the teachings of Surek. T’Pol had given him a copy of that book when they went to Risa about a year and a half ago, but he never read it. _Ah, this should keep my dirty thoughts at bay…_

He opened the book to a random page just as he heard the door open to the bathroom. He looked up and saw the most gorgeous woman step out.

It was still technically T’Pol, but at the same time Jonathan Archer had never met her before. It was like a whole new person he was seeing. All the while he struggled to keep his eyes off her ample assets, which the dress made even more ample. His mouth hung open slightly and his got as wide as T’Pol had ever seem them become.

“Um…it’s, um…” Jonathan struggled to speak as he looked down and noticed the dress also flattered her legs, too. “Hoshi’s got some great taste in style. You should really thank her.” _And I should too! We don’t have enough lieutenants on board!_ He turned his mind off to that, and focused on the book in his lap. “Um, Surek says a lot of great things in here, doesn’t he, heh heh…Oh, yeah…” He opened the book to the page he had it on, but didn’t place it up to his face or even gave it a second look.

T’Pol eyed him curiously. “Jonathan, I wasn’t aware of the fact that you could read Vulcan.”

“Excuse me?” he asked.

“That text is completely in gothic Vulcan, which is rather difficult to read, even for me.” Sure enough, when he looked down at the page Jonathan realized he couldn’t make heads or tails of it, and felt a little foolish. He blushed and came up with a lie to get out of it.

“Well, um…Hoshi has taught me some, um, Gothic Vulcan and Modern Vulcan, and, um...I wanted to...see if I could understand some of it on my own.” He put on a very nervous smile, hoping T’Pol wouldn’t say anything else on the matter. He was wrong.

“If you wanted to learn Vulcan, you should have come to me first.” Ensign Sato had never mentioned this to her. In fact, she hardly ever saw her and Jonathan socialize off duty. Of course, T’Pol herself spent most of her off time reading or meditating in her room.

He tried very hard to brush it off. “Well, I didn’t want to bother you with it, you know… because you’re very busy with…sensor sweeps, yeah, that’s it, and…whatever else you do on the ship.” All the time he was babbling like a moron, Archer felt his eyes drifting towards her chest and made a conscious decision not to focus his attention there. He rubbed his hands together. “So, Um, T’Pol, do you like how it looks? The dress, of course.”

She looked down at it, and turned her head around to get a look at the back. “It is very elegant. Ensign Sato does indeed have good taste.” Seeing Jonathan’s reaction to her in this new attire and remembering the note that was placed in the box cause T’Pol to ask Jonathan a rather awkward question:

“Would you consider this to be too sexy?”

That was one line he never expected to hear a Vulcan say. Jonathan blinked several times in astonishment before he answered.

“It’s a very beautiful outfit, T’Pol,” he began nervously. He stood up and paced along the floor as he always did when he was feeling uncomfortable. T’Pol had noticed he did that when something was on his mind that was bothering him. Obviously, Jonathan wasn’t comfortable with her question.

“I’m sorry to have upset you with my question,” and she turned to put on her regular attire.

“No, wait, I’m not upset or nervous. I was just a little… surprised you’d ask me such a thing as… _that.”_ He took three seconds to relax before continuing. “There are some signals that women give out on Earth when they want to be attractive, such as wearing makeup or wearing low-cut clothing, which is, um, sexy in moderation. Like what you have on.”

The room fell very silent as she raised her eyebrow. Jonathan did not believe he said that.

“Therefore, you think I’m attractive,” she stated. She found herself highly anticipating the answer.

“Um…no. I mean, yes…I… What I meant to say is that you are a very wonderful officer and that I respect you as a woman and a Vulcan and I’m sorry if it seemed otherwise.” He walked over and extended a hand for a shake.

She looked at him, and saw Jonathan was trying not to focus on her bosom for about the eighth time. T’Pol found this happened a lot since she served on _Enterprise_ , and not just from other species, either, but from some of the crewmembers too…including a young female from Engineering. It was discerning when they did it. However, this didn’t bother her much when Jonathan did it just then. Perhaps it was because he showed some modesty, or perhaps she knew he didn’t mean anything by it. She extended her hand for him.

“I know you mean well,” she told him, “but I accept your apology anyway. I will go get changed.” She walked back into the bathroom to get changed.

Jonathan waked over to the nearest empty wall and banged his head on the wall a few times.

“Stupid, stupid, stupid!” he whispered quite loudly. “Why the hell did I act so goddamn stupid?” He knew he’d have reprimanded any one of the crew if they had acted that way in front of her. Hell, he got pissed off at Trip last night, and he had done a lot less than what he did…well, Jonathan hadn’t kissed her, but still…How was he going to look her in the eye ever again without that image in his mind?

More importantly, _why_ was this even an issue with her?!

Meanwhile, T’Pol took the time to ponder Jonathan’s reaction to her attire and why she was enjoying it so much.

She stepped out of the bathroom to find Jonathan had a towel on hand.

“I’m going to take a shower now,” he informed her. _A nice, long, cold one._ T’Pol merely stepped over to the side and allowed him to go by.

“And you had better still be here when I get out!” he added as he closed the door. T’Pol picked up the book on Surek’s teachings and placed it back on the nightstand. While doing so, she checked the time on her chronometer; it was nearly 1200 hours and almost time for lunch.

***

Jonathan stepped out the shower, and was feeling a bit hungry. He looked around to see if T’Pol was still in the room. He was relieved to see she was there with a bowl next to her and a book in her hand.

“I brought you some lunch,” she said without looking up. Jonathan looked over to the coffee table and saw a tray there.

“You didn’t have to, but thanks.” Jonathan walked over to the sofa and sat down. “Didn’t I tell you to stay put?”

“You said, and I quote, ‘You had better still be here when I get out.’ As you can see, I am still here.”

Jonathan let out a little chuckle at this remark. “Well, I guess I had better rephrase what I say next time.” A few moments of silence went by. “T’Pol, I thought you didn’t care for parties. You’ve only been to the one I had for your birthday last year on _Enterprise_. Are you sure you want to come to this one? The Jyorans are pretty wild people.”

She looked up from her book. “ As you’ve stated before, there is safety in numbers, and you should enjoy your shore leave. After all, you are the captain.”

He nodded. Jonathan had expected this answer in a way. She was always concerned about his enjoyment that sometimes he felt she neglected her own comfort.

“Are you sure you want to go?”

“Very sure.”

A scratching sound was heard as Porthos pawed at the glass door to go out on a walk. He looked over in T’Pol’s direction. T’Pol looked at Jonathan. He got up to open the door, but Porthos took a running leap up on the bed next to her, then jumped off back towards the door.

“That is most odd,” she commented. “He doesn’t know whether he wants to go outside or stay next to me.”

Jonathan laughed, having seen this behavior before. “That’s not it. He wants you to take him for a walk. Porthos has certainly grown to like you.”

“Indeed.” She looked at Porthos, who wagged his tail happily and barked. Jon smiled. “Perhaps I should go outside with him. Some exercise will do us good.”

He sighed a little. He gave up trying to make her rest.

“All right, then. It seems Porthos wants to play with you today. I’m coming with you to make sure you’re okay.”

T’Pol said nothing as she stood up. “You should get some more rest, Jonathan.”

“Ditto. But it’s not going to happen, is it?”

“Vulcans can got for three weeks on end without sleep and still function normally. You need your rest more than I do.”

Archer shook his head in amusement. For a Vulcan that didn’t like to show pride, she sure could brag. It was pointless to argue reason with her. She beat him every time. “Come on. Porthos doesn’t like to be kept waiting.” The three of them walked out the room.

***

_1600 hours_

As he went to reach for the door, Jonathan felt a dull ache in his shoulder blade. His other arm went to grab it involuntarily.

“Are you okay?” T’Pol asked.

“It’s fine,” he told her. “It’s just an old water polo injury that flares up from time to time.”

This was one of those times. He had spent a few hours throwing back a rather large stick with Porthos. He hadn’t felt that pain since before he left Earth. T’Pol eyed him as she opened the door. A idea occurred to her as to how she could help.

“Jonathan, perhaps a session on neuropressure could help to alleviate your discomfort.”

He looked at her. He had heard Trip say it was pretty intimate, and right now he was scared it might become too intimate for him. _Come to think of it, I wonder exactly_ how _intimate it’s been between them…_

“It won’t be necessary,” he replied. “This’ll go away in day or two on its own. Oh, look at the time. We should get ready for the party. It begins at sundown.”

 


	10. Bonds

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Note: According to Memory Alpha, Dax didn't join with its first host Lela until a decade after the events of this story, which...I did not know when I wrote this in 2004 (I'm not even sure Memory Alpha was even around at that time. So...um, let's just ignore that idiosyncrasy there ^_^

“Ah, what a day,” Trip grinned to Hoshi and Malcolm. The engineer gave Reed a friendly slap on the back. “And it’s only gonna get better.”

Malcolm eyed him cautiously.

“A good friend of mine told me there’s a big party that’s being held at the hotel we passed by on the way up the mountain. You two game?”

“Well, I wouldn’t mind, what about you?” Hoshi asked Malcolm.

After a second he nodded his head. “Well, why not? Just make sure I don’t get too much to drink, or I’ll start saying things I shouldn’t say.” He remembered the time when Shuttlepod One had less than two days of oxygen left and he and Tucker were three days from _Enterprise_. The two of them raided some whiskey, which got him to confess his admiration for Sub-Commander T’Pol’s bum.  While he did still think it was rather nice to watch, he was more drawn to Hoshi’s smile.

 _Besides_ , Reed mused, _I know Archer loves her bum more than I do._

***

Jonathan watched the sun set over the horizon of the lake. The third day of shore leave was almost over. Shore leave was nearly half over.

Yet he had spent most of that time in the room. Jonathan was not one for vacations; the first time the _Enterprise_ crew had taken shore leave, he had felt a bit guilty that his name was chosen from the lottery to go. But T’Pol assured him that as Captain he needed to be in the best possible condition for command and that included a break every once in a while.

 _Well, she was right,_ he said to himself; _although she could certainly take her own advise more often on that matter._  Jonathan wondered quickly if her sleeping patterns had returned to normal since they arrived. T’Pol had complained about not being able to get a full night’s rest in a while the first night they were here. He’d have to ask her about that when she got out of the restroom from changing into that gorgeous little dress.

Provided he could open his mouth without saying something stupid.

He mentally cursed himself for these persistent naughty thoughts he’d been having about T’Pol. Jonathan knew he couldn’t think of her like that; she was Vulcan for one thing and had grown to become one of his best friends. He respected her and he finally gained hers as well. He’d never jeopardize that with a one-night fling. More importantly, Jonathan Archer knew that she’d never respect herself if she did a thing like that.

 _But that just won’t happen. T’Pol is disciplined. I doubt those types of thoughts are an issue to her. So there’s no point in laboring on that idea._ With that, he set out to comb his hair and straighten out his jacket.

***

T’Pol took a last look at her attire in the bathroom mirror. She normally gave little thought to her appearance other than normal grooming procedures, but for some odd reason, she was noticing every minute detail of her ensemble tonight.

The main thought that her mind focused on was the fact that the top part was so revealing and how Jonathan paid quite a lot attention to her chest. She rather enjoyed seeing him act that way, which she didn’t fully understand; perhaps she was beginning to adopt some bad habits from the humans, one of which being a heightened sense of vanity. His fascination with her bosom didn’t bother her in the least; in fact, it was very much welcomed.

 _This is only because of my lack of meditation,_ T’Pol told herself. _My mind is lacking discipline._ Of course, her inability to meditate was because of her persistent dreams about Jonathan Archer in the first place; T’Pol’s subconscious mind was somewhat afraid of what she may discover if she did allowed herself to contemplate on those nightly images that plagued her dreams.

Jonathan turned to see her step out of the bathroom. He stood up in amazement at how incredibly sensual she looked, and just her body; her eyes seemed to radiate too. His face flushed a bit, but was able to keep his eyes from off of her amplified chest.

“You look…nice,” Jonathan said and turned away, pretending to be interested in anything but her.

 _He doesn’t seem to notice,_ T’Pol thought, a tad disappointed that her apparel didn’t get more of a rise out of Jonathan.

“Did you just say something?” he asked.

“No. Shall we go?”

He nodded. _I could have sworn I heard her voice…guess I was wrong._ The two of them walked out of the room and Archer dismissed the thought.

***

Once a ways from their room, Jonathan pulled out his binoculars for T’Pol to see where they were going.

“See that large building over there? That’s where it is.” From T’Pol’s view, she could see there were quite a few guests already there and there would probably be quite a few more before their arrival.

“There is quite a gathering, which is predictable,” she stated matter-of-factly as they continued their walk out of the village and into a wooded area. “I’ve noticed the Jyoran race are an exceptionally jovial species. They make humans look more dignified…with all due respect.”

“I guess that’s fair,” he replied remembering the conversation they had had earlier. “Have you enjoyed your shore leave…you know, other than last night, of course?”

“It is a rather welcomed change of pace. And I do feel a bit more rested, thank you.”

Jonathan noticed that T’Pol had wrapped her arms around herself. She didn’t look too warm; after all, it was not quite spring on Jyora, and the design of her dress did little to cover up her small frame. Considering how sick she was last night, he didn’t want to take the chance that she’d relapse, despite all of Phlox’s reassurances.

T’Pol was looking around at the scenery surrounding them when she felt something covering her chilly shoulders. She looked around her side to find Jonathan had placed his jacket over her and continued to keep a hand on her.

“You’re freezing,” he said matter-of-factly, “and it shows. I’m not taking no for an answer. I don’t want you to get sick again and…”

“Thank you.”

Archer was silent for two seconds, taken aback by her complacence. “Oh…um, you’re welcome.”

T’Pol knew that Jonathan would insist upon her taking the jacket if she refused. Tonight, she was in no position to argue; her condition last night left Jonathan very worried and he did need to relax. The extra warmth from the cotton material was very much welcomed given the conditions of the air. And the human scent on his jacket did not bother her so much.

 _It did at one time_ , she reminded herself. That time felt so long ago…

T’Pol had only been on _Enterprise_ for about nine weeks, and Captain Archer (which was how T’Pol addressed him back then) and Commander Tucker had insisted upon visiting the P’Jem sanctuary. The three of them became caught up in a fight with the Andorians, who insisted the Vulcan monks were using spy technology to survey Andoria, which lead to the three of them being held hostage along with the other Vulcans.

That night, as Commander Tucker worked on a way to communicate with _Enterprise_ , the other Vulcans slept. One blanket remained, and Captain Archer had it.

“You take it,” he handed it to her. She looked at him condescendingly.

“You need it more than I do.” T’Pol turned her head away from him as he covered himself.

“There’s room for one more.” Sure enough, if the two of them were to be lying next to one another fairly closely they would be able to fit,but the proximity did not appeal to her.

“It’s been nearly twenty-four Earth hours since I’ve had my nasal numbing agent,” she replied. “The cold is preferable to the smell.”

Yet he still insisted. “You look like you’re freezing.”

T’Pol gave him a look, then decided to take up his offer. It wasn’t a pleasant option, but it seemed that nothing else would satisfy him. It was rather awkward for the Vulcan to be so close to him, as a human as well as a fellow officer. It had surprised her that he was sensitive to her discomfort, considering he had been nothing but resentful of her presence ever since the ship left space dock. She sat up next to him, trying to put as much space between them as possible while still remaining covered.

They had a conversation than night, too: He asked if she would take his side if they needed to use weaponry in this situation. This question unsettled her greatly. Despite the fact that T’Pol had more far interstellar experience than he, she had never disobeyed any of his orders no matter how foolish it may have seemed to her. Yet he still wanted to know if she’d defend him in combat?!

Then again, they both had their preconceptions about one another at the time. She felt he was too impulsive; Archer felt he needed to have one eye on her at all time, and she got the third degree on just about every last order for the two days following that incident.

“Feeling better?” Jonathan asked her.

“I am indeed much warmer,” T’Pol responded after a bit of a pause.

Jonathan continued. “I want to thank you for coming to this party with me.”

“There’s no need for gratitude. I was more than willing to come.”

“I know Vulcans aren’t renown for their party-going attitude. I realize they make you uncomfortable, like the surprise party we arranged for your birthday last year.”

T’Pol looked up at him. “I was taken a bit offguard by last year’s celebration; however, I’ve learned from you humans that the thought behind the gesture is important as well.”

He nodded. “So you’re okay with this?” He turned his head to look at the sun set behind the horizon of the lake.

“Certainly.” _And it was a welcomed opportunity to stay out of bed,_ she thought. Jonathan chuckled.

“I’m sure it was,” he added.

T’Pol was certain she hadn’t spoken out loud, but yet it seemed his comment was a response to her thought. That was impossible; the Vulcan Science Directorate had determined that humans did not have telepathic abilities. Most Vulcans experienced telepathy in various degrees, but hers was no stronger or weaker than the average female’s.

However, said Directorate had determined time travel impossible, too…

The two of them began to hear the music from their destination, so they knew they were getting close. There were many guests surrounding the perimeter of the hotel; a rather large group stood around the entrance while some overlooked the large windows watching the other party-goers arrive. And all of them were smiling.

A large shrub with purple trumpet-like blooms lined the walkway into the hotel. T’Pol stopped at the sight of them and went to touch one of the blossoms. Jonathan stopped as he noticed her doing so.

“I guess there’s some plant life that peaked your interest,” he commented.

Without looking away, she answered, “It looks very similar to a tree shrub I found once on Vulcan as a child. It was called a _Takari_ shrub and it grew behind my family’s home.”

“I lived in upstate New York as a boy. I didn’t have any plants in my small yard.”

“I was only about five at the time when I discovered it. It was the first plant life to fascinate me. However”—at this point her voice grew somewhat tenuous—“I was unaware of the fact that the _Takari_ shrub was a rather dominant plant, much like a weed. It cut into some of other plants my mother had. She had to remove it.” T’Pol left out the part about being somewhat upset about its destruction for days to come. T’Pol took one last glance at the plant before continuing to walk, with Jonathan behind her.

Jonathan felt a wave of upset come over him after hearing her story. He didn’t understand why this was; her voice lent nothing into her own feelings about the plant, or her attachment to it, if any.

_Still, that’s hard to lose the one thing you love at five years old, even for a Vulcan._

“Indeed. However, at five years old, most Vulcan children are disciplined enough not to cry over a loss, even if they cannot fully suppress their emotions. Our training begins almost at birth to--”

Before T’Pol could finish her sentence, a whole set of fireworks went off around the two of them. On Jyora, it was a custom to set out an innocent-looking welcome mat that was in fact rigged with wiring that would set off a system of mild explosives after enough cumulative pressure had been applied to it. Normally, the trap would go off at a much later hour, but the invitation list for Fellis's party had expanded quite a bit from previous years, and many guests had arrived already. It was a normal event for Jyorans, whose ears were not as sensitive as a Vulcan’s, and usually the one who got pranked would laugh.

This event was anything but amusing to T’Pol, who’d never experienced anything like it. With worry apparent in her face, she reacted by pushing Jonathan and herself onto the ground. She had expected this gathering to be rowdy, but she hadn’t anticipated weapons fire. There was no logical explanation for _this_ , especially with the weapons fire going _up_ in the air and in no particular direction!!!

Jonathan had little time to react to what the hell was happening around them before he was shoved to the ground on his back. When he looked up, he saw…rockets…in the air? Exploding?! He started to sit up.

“Lay back down, Jonathan! You’ll get yourself killed!”

The noise subsided about ten seconds later, but T’Pol stayed still and the shallowness of her breathing became more audible to Jonathan, despite the cackles of the natives. With one hand he helped her up and she straightened out her attire.

“T’Pol, you okay?,” he asked. She nodded. “We weren’t in danger. Those were merely fireworks. They’re just used in celebration and everything! I’m guessing you’ve never seen anything on Earth?”

“I have not,” T’Pol answered, a little stiffer than usual. Her eyes narrowed as she tried to straighten herself up to maintain a dignified appearance.

“I can’t say this didn’t take me by surprise either.” Not that he was very happy about this himself. Jonathan began to look around for Fellis to give him a piece of his mind.

 _That display was rather unnerving,_ she thought while Jonathan still had his back turned from her.

“Unnerving?” Jonathan asked. “You were downright scared!”

“Vulcans don’t experience fear,” T’Pol quipped before she had time to realize she hadn’t spoken out loud. “And rarely does anything unsettle us.”

“All right, then. You became unsettled.” Jonathan soon spotted Fellis at the entrance of the large building. “Come on, there he is.”

 Fellis saw Jonathan And T’Pol marching up towards him. He grinned his wide smile that suddenly reminded Archer of Phlox when he was trying to play matchmaker with him and T’Pol.

“Welcome, friends,” The man boomed and walked two steps over to the both of them. “I’m so glad to see you both… _together._ Ah…this is the most beautiful night of the year.” Fellis extended his arms towards the clear night sky. He failed to notice that Jonathan looked less than trilled.

“Who put that trap out?!” he demanded suddenly.

“I don’t know what you’re….oh…right,” he laughed. “Oh, that. I’m sorry if I alarmed you and your friend here with the…explosions that are set up. It’s a tradition here in these parts, nothing to worry about.”

“Nothing to worry about?!” Archer continued. “T’Pol was afraid that we might get killed!”

“Jonathan, I wasn’t--” she tried to correct him, but he continued on.

“—And I’ll be willing to bet she’s not the only one to have ever been scared of those fireworks!! That’s a bit of a dangerous trick, do you think?”

“Jonathan!” T’Pol’s calm voice had taken a rather angered tone, but it quickly subsided. “Neither one of us are native to this area. There are bound to be customs that we are not familiar with and seem somewhat unusual.”

He looked at her, the passion welling up inside of him. “There’s no excuse for…”

“It is not wise to dwell on the past. Move on,” she stated, glaring him straight in the eyes. T’Pol was beginning to feel more than slightly agitated due to Jonathan’s behavior. Both of them had forgotten Fellis’s presence until he spoke.

“If you don’t mind, I can lead you to our finest dining room. Our kitchen staff has made quite a meal tonight, heh heh. Come!” Fellis led them inside into the grandest lobby of any hotel Jonathan Archer had ever been in. The inside was designed so that one could walk out of their room and looked down upon the lobby and it’s exquisite pond.

Jonathan looked up to the ceiling. “Nice place.”

“Extravagant,” T’Pol added.

“Boy, I’ll bet Trip would have loved to see this. He’s a friend of ours,” Jonathan told Fellis, who nodded.

Before long, the three of them were in the dining room. As he looked around, Jonathan guessed there were to be at least forty or fifty Jyorans already seated on the long tables, having very lively conversations.

“Ah, here you go.” Fellis showed the two of them their seats at the table that was closest to the large, wall-length window. “We should have the meal ready soon.”

“Are there any courses without animal products?” T’Pol asked.

“Of course…about half the selections are meat-free, heh heh!! Don’t you worry that cute little head of yours.”

Jonathan shot Fellis an evil glance that was so quick neither T’Pol nor Fellis caught it.

“I’ll so see what’s left for drinks!” And away he went with a speed that was unexpected for a man of Fellis’s hefty size.

Meanwhile the other Jyorans took an interest with the two outsiders. They were fascinated by the male’s complexion that was a bit paler than their own as well as by the female’s pointed ears. And when the off-worlders were out of earshot later that night, a consensus grew that the two of them were a very attractive couple; but never mind that now. The Jyorans wanted to know some more facts about where the two of them came from, which T’Pol decided to explain.

“Jonathan Archer and I do not come from the same planet. He is from Earth and I come from a planet called T’Khasi.”

Jonathan looked at her strangely. “You mean Vulcan?”

“That is the term humans use for our homeworld. We call it T’Khasi.”

Archer nodded slightly “I never knew the term you Vulcans used for your planet.”. He turned away. _I guess you learn something new every day._

“Indeed you do,” T’Pol replied quietly. Jonathan blinked, knowing full well he hadn’t said anything out loud. She couldn’t possibly be…no, there was no way. Even T’Pol had once admitted that her mental abilities for telepathy were not very strong for a Vulcan. Before he had the chance to say anything on the matter, she continued.

“Our planets differ greatly. While Jonathan’s homeworld is seventy percent water, mine is seventy-three percent sand and twenty-four percent plant life. As a result, Vulcans, as my people are known, have evolved to require less water to survive.”

The Jyorans, a species known to be rather fond of the water, began to chatter about this.

“No surface water? That’s impossible!” someone yelled. The talk continued until another man, and one that had quite a lot to drink, walked over to T’Pol and asked in a rather sleazy tone a voice:

“Could you explain about your mating rituals?”

The other diners seemed even more intrigued about this aspect of both species, but T’Pol seemed a bit silent and turned her head away.

_I hadn’t expected to answer such a question._

Jonathan patted her back slightly. “You don’t have to. I’ll do it.”

 _I hadn’t said anything._ She didn’t question this since he had obviously sensed her awkwardness of being put in such a situation.

He stood up to speak. “Well…*Ahem* Um, on my homeworld, a man would ask a woman out on a date…”

“The _male_ courts the female?” An older woman asked. She thought in her mind about what a backward society this poor creature must come from.

He nodded. “He also proposes marriage, too.”

A loud gasp let out in the room and the talking resumed. Exasperated at the continual interruptions, Archer sat back down, sighing as he did so.

“It is safe to assume that this is a highly matriarchal society,” T’Pol told him.

“And it shows with all the gossiping,” he added. “There’s one difference between Vulcan and Jyoran women.”

As the chatter subsided once more, another male yelled from across the room, “What about Vulcan mating rituals?” The men let out a hearty cheer at this question, being quite attracted to this Vulcan. She turned to Jonathan, with a hint of a pale green blush on hand. Before T’Pol had the chance to answer, some waiters came out with another round of drinks for the room, blue liquid in a small-size glass and the noise level rose to the highest it had been since T’Pol and Jon entered.

 _My assumptions are correct. This_ is _a very jovial gathering._

Jonathan laughed mentally and turned to face her. _Tell me about it._

T’Pol had been looking straight at Jonathan as their drinks were handed to him, and heard him speak.Yet he had not seen his month move at all. Here eyes held a look of curiosity as Jonathan became a bit confused.

“Did you just say something? Just now, about the crowd being jovial?”

“Not out loud.” The two of them stared for a moment, knowing what they did not speak.

 _Can you hear what I was thinking right now?_ He asked he.

_Loud and clear._

Suddenly, Jonathan felt a whack on his back from yet another male Jyoran. It was painstakingly obvious that he had far too much alcohol, for his breath was making Archer a bit dizzy from the smell of the liquor. His laughter boomed from behind him and Jonathan turned around to see him.

The man looked at Jonathan for a bit, then turned his sights on T’Pol. She gave a glare that was reserved only for times like these, when a male tried to approach her for…gratification.

“You’re not like these local females,” he told her. T’Pol continued to look straight ahead, not taking the man’s bait. She quickly sensed Jonathan wanted very much to do something to the man…and it included violence.

_He’s drunk. There’s no point in rationalizing with him._

_You dirty son of a bitch!_ Flashed thought Jonathan’s mind as he watched the man edge up closer to T’Pol.

“Tell me. Just what _are_ your mating rituals? Do you wish to demonstrate some of them?”

Her agitation grew, and Jonathan was unconsciously feeling the effects of it. It was also adding to how pissed off the guy had already made him feel when he walked over to start with. His eyes began to burn with passion as the need to protect her intensified.

 _Resist violence!_ T’Pol warned; however, the drunken Jyoran did not share the pleasurable temperament of his peers. Right now, he had needs, and this alien female wasn’t responding like he wanted her to. Instead she sat in front of him, not saying a word! Well, he’d get her to respond, all right…

Jonathan watched as the man grabbed T’Pol’s right shoulder. As soon as his hand landed on her, Jonathan pushed it off of her and tackled him to the ground, ready to teach this asshole about how not to treat a woman. Just as he was about to lay a punch, T’Pol stood up and grabbed Jonathan’s wrist to stop him. He looked up at her calm face.

“He’s not worth the effort. The man is clearly intoxicated, and I doubt he really knows what he’s doing.” _Please, don’t._

He turned from T’Pol to the man lying under him. Jonathan stood up, and let the man get up to his feet.

_I would feel better kicking his ass!_

_It wouldn’t solve anything._

The ability to communicate mentally with Jonathan was growing increasing rapidly since the moment they realized this link between them existed. If he could hear her little thoughts, Jonathan would soon be able to listen to her more intimate thoughts as well; the ones which most Vulcans would deny existed. Jonathan Archer was her friend and her captain. She couldn’t let those thoughts become known.

“Jonathan,” T’Pol said quietly, “we need to discuss our other situation. In private.”

_Can’t we do it like this?_

_No,_ she replied sharply. Allowing him to practice would only make breaking this link more difficult for both of them.

“There was a garden area outside of here. I believe it should provide sufficient privacy.”

A still slightly-agitated Jonathan nodded. “What ever you feel is best. I’m not very hungry anyway.” He looked above the crowd, their eyes still dancing in the aftermath of the fight. “I apologize. I hope I haven’t ruined your dinner.  Males of my species don’t take too kindly to men disrespecting the women they care about like that.”

T’Pol looked up at him sharply and felt a rush of blood to her face.

As the two of them headed for the door, a younger, attractive, and very available woman stepped up to Jonathan’s side and placed a hand on his back. He was very surprised by this display. T’Pol took notice of this very quickly, stepping an additional two steps closer to Jonathan’s side.

“You haven’t ruin dinner at all. That was Leral. He always make a scene like that at social occasions, but no one stands up to him.” As she began to talk, the woman rubbed Jonathan’s back. “I think you were very brave, Mr. Archer.”

 _This woman has no concern for personal space,_ T’Pol thought a little irritably. Jonathan was equally uncomfortable with this.

 _Um…this is odd…_ He didn’t want to hurt her feelings. She looked up at Jonathan, batting her eyes a little and gave a sweet, small little smile.

T’Pol reacted quickly to this situation. She grabbed Jonathan’s closest hand and held on rather firmly to it, all the while looking a bit icily at this suitor. The woman quickly got the message and stepped aside to let the two of them pass by, still displaying the usual Jyoran smile that T’Pol did not return. Both she and Jonathan were quiet for about five seconds after that.

“You know, I heard that thought,” he remarked.

“Your point?”

“It sounded like you were a little jealous.”

“You were mistaken, Jonathan. You also thought I was jealous of the waitress at the restaurant we went to last night.”

The couple walked by Ensign Sato and Lieutenant Reed a few moments later. The two officers looked at their commanding officers with a rather curious look.

Jonathan nodded at the both of them. “Hoshi, Malcolm.”

“Sir, I was wondering if you knew of any where in the building that might be serving supper at this hour. I haven’t had much to eat today.” Reed tried to keep his eyes directed up at Captain Archer’s eyes and not lower them.

Hoshi nodded at T’Pol’s direction. “I see you’re enjoying my, um, present.”

“Correct,” she replied emotionless.

Sato looked down at T’Pol’s hand. “Um, Sub-Commander? May I ask why you two are…?” She pointed downward.

Both of them looked down simultaneously and saw what Hoshi was looking at. Their hands were still linked together and neither T’Pol nor Archer had made an attempt to separate themselves before now. Hastily, T’Pol pulled away and Jonathan took his newly freed hand and ran it coolly though his hair, pretending not to be ruffled by the event. Malcolm fought the urge to burst out in sniggers.

“Um…er, there’s a dining area about…next door to your left…back that way.” Jonathan pointed to the room behind him. Stiffly, Reed nodded, not speaking out loud for fear he may do something we’d surely regret.

“Thank you, Captain,” Hoshi replied for him. With a bit of teasing implied, she added, “You two…have a good time tonight.” She pretended not to notice the baleful glance both Captain Archer and Sub-Commander T’Pol were giving her as she walked away with Malcolm. This was one event that the two of them would be repeating to many a crewmate on _Enterprise_ for months to follow.

As they continued to walk, T’Pol folded her hands behind her back silently.

“I’ll say,” he commented to her thought about being caught in a somewhat compromising position.

***

At last, they reached the secluded area T’Pol had spoken of. Jonathan wondered how she found this place and how she even knew it existed. T’Pol pointed to a large bush that looked a lot like that _Takari_ bush she had mentioned earlier.

“I discovered this while looking though the bush when we arrived,” she explained.

 _Romantic,_ he thought. T’Pol, who had heard that, ignored the random thought and sat down on a nearby bench. Jonathan followed suit.

“All right,” he began nervously, “I figure you know more about this than I do. So…um…explain. Please.”

“You are partially correct. I do more some information on our…condition. As you know, Vulcans have the ability for mental communication. Some have greater abilities than others.”

“Go on.”

This was the part she didn’t wish to explain to him. Jonathan may interpret more into it than what was actually there. However, the circumstances didn’t lend T’Pol to very much privacy, and he’d most likely end up hearing about it from her in some form or fashion. She took a deep breath and continued.

“The mental bonds can become quite strong between two married individuals who trust one another greatly. These bonds can grow to be emotional bonds as well. One mate can feel what his or her other half is experiencing, if the emotion is strong enough.”

Jonathan felt a bit nervous there, which surprised her a bit.

“Even before the time of Surek, mental bonds like these were strong between all Vulcan couples; however, since we as a race decided to suppress our emotions thess instances have declined greatly.”

T’Pol studied Jonathan’s face closely to see if he understood what she had said. She focused her energy and tried on purpose to hear what he was thinking, but could not hear a word.

“What?” he asked.

“I didn’t hear anything you were thinking just now.”

Jonathan nodded. “Well, maybe this is a temporary thing. After all, we’ve spent the last three days with one another. Perhaps when we return to _Enterprise_ everything between us will go back to normal.” _Including our distant, professional relationship._

T’Pol blinked. “Is that a problem?”

Jonathan shook his head hastily and changed the subject quickly. “Is there anyway to …stop these thoughts from entering your mind or…anything?”

“There are a number of techniques to prevent actual thoughts from being heard at random intervals,” T’Pol began to explain. She stopped before she had fully started her next sentence. She didn’t need to.

“So…we can’t completely drown out the effects of feeling one another’s emotions?” he finished.

“Not completely.”

And this scared the both of them. Jonathan had been spending the better part of three days to push those thoughts about her aside, to stop longing for something he’d never have. T’Pol was different from any other woman he’d ever wanted…which made her that much more special. Likewise, the Vulcan woman had been struggling with the nightly images of her and of Jonathan becoming closer than she ever could be in real life. Every day for the last three weeks or so, she woke up with elevated heart rates because of it. And she couldn’t have Jonathan know how she envisioned him at night.

Knowing that Jonathan could feel her emotions was a bit frightening to T’Pol.

She soon heard Jonathan let out a laugh; had she not had the ability to communicate with him mentally, T’Pol would have mistaken that laughter to be for amusement. However, she sensed much anxiety from him, and the laugh was to try and pretend everything was all right with one another.

“I thought Vulcans don’t get frightened,” he quipped.

She couldn’t lie about not thinking it, either. T’Pol took a breath. “As I was saying, it is best that we start these techniques as soon as possible, for your sake.”

“My sake? I think you should be concerned with yourself. _I’m_ not the one who’s Vulcan.”

“Just because I resist the urge to act on my emotions doesn’t mean they aren’t there, Jonathan.”

Looking into her eyes at that moment, Jonathan got the impression that T’Pol was hiding—or at least trying to hide—something from him. And he had the slightest feeling it concerned him. He couldn’t explain how; it was a feeling, but he trusted _his_ emotions. He was one to talk with the way he thought about her at night. Jonathan pushed this aside and tried not to think too hard on it.

“A wise move.”

He let out a disgruntled sigh. That was going to take some getting used to. “Okay, then. We know what the problem is. Now how do we make it go _away?_ ”

T’Pol grabbed his hand, palm-side up and covered it with her other hand; there was a very warm sensation felt by both of them from this gesture, and very pleasurable. She took a deep breath before she began to speak again.

“Close your eyes,” she instructed. Jonathan did as he was told. “Now imagine that there is a pile of bricks by your side in an open field.”

_I can’t really focus on anything with her soft hands on mine._

“Focus,” replied T’Pol sharply. “And thank you for noticing,” she added in a softer tone.

This time, Jonathan did imagine himself back on Earth. Out in the Ozarks of Missouri, he stood in a great wide plain, looking around until he found T’Pol standing away from him. The pile of bricks lay between them.

“Now, we must build a mental barrier between the two of us.”

Archer walked over to the bricks and began to stack one on top of the other, as did T’Pol’s mental counterpart. It was a rather daunting task, and Jonathan didn’t know if he wanted to make one so wide.

“It doesn’t have to be especially wide, just so long as you don’t hear me on the other side.”

“Ah…thanks.”

Before too long had passed, a wall nearly two meters stood between the both of them, and Jonathan opened his eyes to find himself back in the garden.

“Wow…okay,” he commented. Jonathan looked at T’Pol, trying to read anything in her face, but found nothing save a raised eyebrow. “What?”

“I am surprised that your mind could become so disciplined very fast. Usually a guided exercise like this only works this well when the two subjects trust and care deeply for one another.”

Jonathan nodded solemnly. “I’ve always been a quick study,” he joked.

At that exact moment, Trip was walking along the trail inside the garden with a friend of his he’d met at the party by the name of Dax. Tucker stopped his Trill companion at the sight of his commanding officers holding hands, alone in the moonlight and sitting rather close to one another. Trip shook his head and grinned. Dax noticed the expression.

“Why the smile?” he asked.

Trip leaned over and whispered, “They pretend they don’t have feelin’s for each other whenever any of the crew’s ’round. Watch this. Hey, Cap’n! Lovely night for romance, isn’t it?”

Both heads quickly whipped around in Trip’s direction and disjoined their hands. They stood up and Trip and Dax approached them.

“Oh, um…Trip. I didn’t know you were here.” Archer had a very nervous grin on his face.

“You two seem like ya’ll were havin’ fun.”

“Commander, could you introduce us to your friend, please?” T’Pol demanded, a bit snippy.

Trip nodded to Dax. “Captain, T’Pol, this is…this is…I can’t remember your first name, Dax.”

“That’s quite all right. Dax is the name of my symbiot, which is over a hundred years old. Everyone calls me Dax. Anyway, I was showing Mr. Tucker the native plants of this planet, and this is the perfect place. I have a strong interest in plant life, and science in general.”

Jonathan glanced at T’Pol as he responded, “I’ve never heard of a humanoid with a symbiot. Have you had many…hosts?”

“Three so far.”

Jonathan thought on that and a new idea occurred to him.

“You know, I work for an organization called Starfleet. Our mission is to explore new life, which includes plants too,” he said laughing. “Perhaps one day, when your species travels to Earth, you’ll give them a call.”

Dax nodded. “Thanks for the recommendation, sir.”

“Hey, if ya don’t mind, I’m gonna join them now. Would you like to come with us?”

“No, thanks. Have a good time, Trip,” Dax said before continuing on his way. Not one of the _Enterprise_ crew would live to know this, but Dax did join Starfleet-three times, to be exact. And Jadzia Dax was quite fond of telling the story of Dax’s meeting with Commander Tucker of Chief O’Brien, who happened to be a distant relative to Tucker.

Jonathan, Trip and T’Pol continued to walk towards the entrance of the hotel. Trip was still curious about what T’Pol and Archer were doing, holding hands like that. Did Jonathan and T’Pol _finally_ tell one another about their obvious feeling for one another? He wanted some details about what he had seen, so he tapped Jon on the shoulder.

“Hey, um, Jonathan? Can we talk about…you know? When I came by?” The last words came out in a whisper, but T’Pol’s sensitive ear caught it anyway. She turned around.

“I’m sure Commander Tucker requires an explanation about what he perceives we were engaging in, and what was actually happening.” Her tone was especially icy and short.

Jonathan nodded. “Sure, you go ahead inside. It’s too cold out here. You still feel…okay?”

“I’m fine.” T’Pol knew exactly what he meant by that, even without their link. As she walked away, Trip turned to Jonathan with a smirk on his face.

“So…?” Trip patted Jonathan on the back swiftly.

An exasperated Archer told him, “It’s not what you think.”

“Well, what was it then? Looked pretty intimate to me. Almost like you enjoyed it.” Jonathan replied very quickly, nearly cutting off Tucker’s last words.

Well…um…T’Pol and I, er…somehow, we’ve gained the ability to hear one another’s thoughts. I don’t understand it at all.”

Trip’s face lit up. “So you found out that she likes you?! And you like her?!”

“Commander, can you take your mind off of being the ship matchmaker for one moment?” he growled. “That’s all I’ve been hearing since we got in the shuttlepod this week, from you, from Phlox, even from that Lilora or whatever her name was from last night. Why does everyone think I’m in love with her? Or…or that she likes me, huh? _Every_ where I go, everyone says we make such a good couple, but you know and I know and she knows it’s not gonna happen!”

Jonathan took a deep breath as Trip stared at him, trying to avoid eye contact. An awkward pause lay between them.

“Um…Jon…I have to tell ya something-not about you and T’Pol,” the engineer added quickly as Jonathan gave him the evil eye. “Ya know I’ve been doin’ that Vulcan neuropressure for a few months now?”

“Yeah, T’Pol mentioned something about it.”

“And you know how Vulcans don’t like to be touched?” Jonathan nodded. “The first session I went to, T’Pol gave me a bit of a warning about what could happen between us. She said…and this is what she told me…Vulcans don’t do a lot of touchin’ ’cause that…brings about arousal.”

Jonathan took a deep breath, resisting the temptation to lay his best friend out cold. “Trip…is this going somewhere?”

“Of course…er, sir,” he added quietly. “ It’s not always sexual arousal. It’s just…” Trip lowered his voice closer, pulling Jonathan closer.

“Neuropressure is reserved for a female and her mate or another female. Now I assure you that I don’t feel anything for her. We’re just too different. But I think your bein’ around one another and your attraction to each other has awaken something in the both of you.”

“Thank you so much, Counselor, for you help,” Jonathan sharply replied with a hint of sarcasm in his voice and began to walk away before Trip’s voice stopped him.

“Sir, I wasn’t suggesting anythin’ between the two of you! I was just thinkin’ ’bout that now that neither of you are workin’ and spending nearly every wakin’ moment that your strong feelings about each other…”

“There aren’t any…”

“—has brought this about. Wait a minute! You had to hold her up when you two went swimming two days ago! And what about when you two got tangled in Porthos’s leash?”

Jonathan quickly made a connection about what Trip said about touching and those two events.

“And what about when you went dancin’ after dinner last night? Oh…Malcolm an’ Hoshi were more than eager to tell me that today, but I tried to stop them…”

Jonathan waved his hand to stop him. “Yeah, T’Pol had I have…been in close contact with each other a lot this week, yeah, I get it. Still, none of it was like the neuropressure you two do. She’s been giving you sessions for months and you haven’t experienced anything like this.”

“That’s not entirely true. There was a week back when we first started when we kept finishing the other’s sentence without meaning to. Ya remember that?” He did, quickly. “But we didn’t hear what the other was thinkin’.”

Jonathan was silent with contemplation. T’Pol and Trip do this intimate procedure three nights a week for five months, and the most to come out of it is finishing the other’s sentence? But yet he and T’Pol have only recently had any sort of measurable physical contact, and now he can hear her thoughts? Maybe, there _was_ something more than he had wanted to face before…

“Trip, I wanna know something. Are you attracted to T’Pol?”

Tucker’s expression did not change. “I already told ya I don’t feel a thing for her…well, no more than the average fellow.  She’s nice to look at, but I’d rather have a woman that’s a little more personable. Why…oh…you’re finally getting’ out of denial and startin’ to face the fact that you’re in love with her.”

“I didn’t say that!”

“It was implied!” Trip nearly pulled at his hair for the headache he was starting to get. “ Do you really need to be told that now?! If this mental link isn’t proof that you two care about  and trust each other, I don’t what is. We’ve been doin’ more intimate things than dancin’ and I ain’t felt a thing.”

_Oh, boy. Trip loves to go on about how damn intimate that neuropressure is!_

“And just how intimate _is_ this neuropressure, since you seem to like rubbing that in my face?”

Even before completing this sentence, Jonathan knew he sounded more than a little jealous. Trip rarely brought up his session unless Jonathan asked him about it, which wasn’t that often. Trip looked back at him, wide-eyed.

“So…ya _don’t_ care about T’Pol? Riiiight.”

_Wait a minute. If I don’t care about T’Pol, then why would I care how intimate they become? What the hell am I doing?_

Jonathan Archer got no answer, for T’Pol came back. She had been wondering what could be keeping the two of them so long. She also had some rather surprising news to share with him...or rather someone else did. The mental block did little to block strong emotions that Jonathan was feeling, for as soon as she saw him, T’Pol felt very tense for no plausible reason. From the way he was looking at Commander Tucker, she assumed their discussion had become heated.

“Gentlemen.”

Jonathan turned his attention to the Vulcan woman and calmed himself quickly. “Sorry I kept you waiting. I had to discuss a few things and _clarify_ some issues that Trip was having.”

Something in Archer’s eyes told Charles Tucker III to watch what he said for the rest of the evening—for real, this time. He knew what Jonathan was just letting himself realize, so his job was done anyhow.

“Jonathan, there is someone that would like to see you.” The two men followed T’Pol into the building.

 _I probably should apologize to Fellis for leaving his dinner so quickly,_ he thought.

“We’ll do that later,” T’Pol replied. Her back was turned to him, so she didn’t know he hadn’t spoken out loud.

 _That was freaky,_ Trip commented to himself. He didn’t need to know what just went on there.

The next event was just as unexpected. Jonathan had no idea who might want to speak with him. At first he thought it could be Reed or Hoshi, but T’Pol would have simply have said so. He quickly got his answer at he was greeted by the sight of a man with blue skin and a pair of antennae on his forehead.

“Captain Archer,” Shran welcomed Jonathan, who stood in shocked silence. Trip looked at the both of them.

“Well, this is a kicker,” Trip quirked.

 


	11. The Truth Gets Out

Jonathan Archer stared in shocked silence at the sight of Shran.

“Captain Archer,” he greeted. “It’s such a pleasure to see you again.”

“Wow. I didn’t expect to see you here…why _are_ you here?”

“Andorians need a break, too,” Shran told him, “and this is a lovely place. Lots of water, too-- unlike Vulcan.” He turned to face T’Pol, who glared quietly back at him with hardened lips. She never fully trusted any Andorian and Shran, despite Jonathan’s fondness for him, was no exception.

“You look lovely, Sub-Commander” he said, glancing at her much too long for Jonathan’s liking. He stepped in front of her, much to Shran’s surprise.

“Leave her alone!” Captain Archer told him. Shran’s expression showed he got the message.

“My apologies,” he said quickly, giving a slight bow towards Archer.  “Shall we go, Captain? I know a place where we can get a good drink and have a good discussion.” He made a hand gesture towards the direction he wished to go in.

Jonathan looked at T’Pol. He certainly didn’t want to do anything to make her feel uncomfortable. He knew how she felt about alcohol and Andorians. Mixing the two would probably not be a good idea.

“There’s no need for me to join you, Jonathan,” she replied for him. “It may be best to put some distance between us, given the circumstances.”

 _Hey, I though we couldn’t hear each other anymore!_ Right now, he didn’t want to deal with explaining that to a second person. Jonathan acted like nothing had happened and nodded.

“Yeah, that’s smart. Where are you going, T’Pol?”

Trip stepped up. “I’ll go with her. It’s best to stay in pairs on shore leave. I guess we’ll find somewhere to hang out, and I got my communicator if anythin’ goes wrong.”

_Oh, great. Like falling from the spit into the fire._

_I’m aware of what that means, Jonathan. It seems as though_ you _are the jealous one._ T’Pol looked as exasperated as Jonathan had ever seen a Vulcan look. Shran wondered what the sudden change in the Vulcan’s expression came from.

“Okay, okay. Just…be careful.” T’Pol walked off as Trip came up to Jonathan.

“I’ll be a gentleman tonight. After all, you’re my best friend. I sure can’t take your gal.”

Trip walked off before Jonathan had a chance to respond. He watched the both of them walk away for a moment before turning to Shran.

“It’s right this way,” Shran told Jonathan, pointing over to his left. The two of them walked in the opposite direction of T’Pol and Tucker, and were silent for a moment before Shran began to speak again.

“Captain, I couldn’t help but notice what your other officer said…about you and the Vulcan being…an item.”

 _Here we go again._ “Ignore it,” Jonathan snapped. “Trip’s always making up stuff when clearly there’s nothing’s there. I don’t have any feelings for her either, so don’t tell me that!”

The Andorian’s antennae moved in surprise.

“I…Um...I actually am surprised to hear that. There seemed to be some sort of…sexual tension…between you all…” Shran was replied with a loud, agitated sigh. “I’ll assume you catch that a lot.”

“Like a baseball,” he growled, trying to remember that of all the people he’d talked to this week, Shran was the first one _not_ to say they should go for it. “Listen, I’m only going to say this once: T’Pol and I aren’t a couple, we don’t want to be and we never will be. And _don’t_ tell me how good we look together, because I know you’re thinking it.”

 _Well, I am now,_ Shran thought to himself. It was a rather amusing thought; a human and a Vulcan. He was aware that passions didn’t run high between Vulcans and humans—but then again, did they ever with Vulcans?

“Ah. Here we are, Captain.”

Shran opened the door to a room with low lighting and jazzy music playing. The two of them moved between five occupied tables and found seats over on the far side of the room. Jonathan pulled out a chair, as did Shran.

“I should warn you now. If I say something really absurd, just ignore it,” Jonathan said. “I have a tendency to say things I normally wouldn’t say when I’m sober.”

“Such as…?”

“Oh…things.”

Shran wondered if some of these things included his gorgeous science officer, whom he was somewhat overly-protective of. Although a human-Vulcan union would be rather strange, he found himself oddly fascinated with the idea. A waitress came by, and Shran—who happened to speak enough Jyoran to get around—ordered a drink for the both of them.

The drinks had a very high alcohol content.

***

Jonathan felt his muscles relaxing like they did after he’d had a glass of good bourbon. He wasn’t sure what this was Shran ordered, but he’d hadn’t finished it yet and already he felt a buzz. Shran must be more used to it; the Andorian had already finished his second drink.

“Ah…what is this?” Jonathan asked, holding up the glass of green liquid and tapping the side of the glass.

“This, my friend, is…is…it’s hard enough for me to pronounce the name when I’m sober.” The two men laughed at this, and Jonathan finished the last of his drink. Shran called a waiter over to get them two more rounds. As the drinks were brought to them, Jonathan started to remember a story.

‘You know, Shran,” he began, “I didn’t know how a Vulcan acted while drunk until last year.”

“Oh?” Shran’s antennae perked up, suddenly curious. He never knew any Vulcan to drink anything stronger than mint tea. This grabbed his attention, and it was just as well. The high content of alcohol began to affect Jonathan’s speech rather quickly, and it only worsened the longer he spoke.

“It was last year, and I arranged a party for T’Pol’s birthday. It’s her birthday in two days, didja know that? So we had a biiiiiigggg cake an’ lots of music and stuff. There were lots of drinks too, ‘cause Trip brought ‘em. We had some Bacardi out in a container, but T’Pol saw it and thought it was water. Well, she drank it, but she had a lot of it and no one stopped her. I know I would’ve, if I’d seen her.”

“I’m sure you would,” Shran stated with a slight smirk.

“So anyway, I didn’t know she was drunk until she came to me an says I got….” At this point, Jonathan was plastered himself and was laughing very hard at the memory, “…and she….she says I got a nice behind!”

Shran’s antennae went straight up in the air and his eyes widened. He belted out another laugh.

“That’s an amusing story, Captain.” Shran put his drink down and asked Jonathan something he should have when Archer was sober.

“Captain, I’ve heard T’Pol’s left the High Command. Why is that?”

Jonathan shrugged. “They said something about not wanting her to stay aboard _Enterprise_ anymore. Didn’t want to risk one of their own in a deep space travel mission with a human crew. She told ‘em ‘You ain’t the boss o’ _me_ anymore!’ And she quit.”

Shran knew the true conversation was a lot more formal than Archer made it out to be, but the point came across.

“I couldn’t imagine the ship without her,” Jonathan continued, his speech more than a bit slurred. “I don’t know why I didn’t like her before. Polly’s really nice when you know her.”

“She sure is nice to look at,” Shran said dryly. Jonathan tried to bang his hand on the table, but missed it. Instead he just pointed at him.

“Don’t go talkin’ ’bout mah gal that way. There’s more to her than her looks. She’s a smart gal, an’ you can’t have her.” Jonathan tried to stand up, but the room was a little dizzy. He promptly fell back down in his seat.

 _So he_ does _have feelings for her! Imagine that, a human falling for a Vulcan like her!_ Shran began to listen as Jonathan began to speak once more.

“Yup. She’s so pretty. And smart. T’Pol’s always helpin’ me wit’ stuff. She’s saved mah ass a lot. When I thought I’d lose her last night, I was so scared last night. I didn’t know what to do. I realized that I wanted her in my life. And now we can…hear our thoughts…each other’s thoughts…”

Shran lit up at this last part. “Hear each other’s thoughts? I thought only Vulcan couples could do that, and even that’s on rare instances!”

“Hmm. But she showed me a technique to block out her thoughts, but I think it’s because she doesn’t want me to find out something.” –Hic—

The waiter came back, and Shran ordered another round, ordering a little less than before.

“That doesn’t surprise me, Captain,” answered Shran. “Most Vulcans are covering up something. They used to be a volatile species.”

Jonathan knew from much too personal experience how volatile a Vulcan could be. He said nothing as he sipped on his drink.

***

Tucker was still in shock. So Jonathan _did_ have feelings for T’Pol. It was very ironic, for his first words to her were something along the lines of  “I’m showing restraint by not knocking you on your ass,” but yet he’d inflict some serious damage to any man that got out of line with her now. To be honest, Trip thought _he’d_ fall for T’Pol first, and even that wasn’t saying much.

“So...” Trip tried to start up a conversation to an extremely quiet T’Pol. “Um…that, um…mind link…must be weird.”

“It can be a bit awkward at times.” She held him in her stoic gaze, a he continued.

“How strong is it? You know…the link?”

“Mostly random thoughts. We haven’t tried to purposely listen to one another’s thoughts. At least I haven’t,” she added.

Trip nodded. “Aren’t you a bit curious about that he’s thinkin’? It’s not every day that you get to hear what someone’s thinkin’ ’bout. ’Specially if it’s someone you care about.”

T’Pol didn’t need to know what Commander Tucker was thinking to figure out where this was headed.

“Commander, I assure you that I am not in love with Jonathan Archer. This mind link between the both of us will most likely dissolve when we return to _Enterprise_.”

“I never said you loved him. I just said you cared about him.”

“It was implied,” she said shortly.

The two of them soon found themselves in a large dancing hall, filled with many happy pairs of Jyorans waltzing around. Trip found a place to sit and led her over to rest.

_Hmm…all these people dancin’. That reminds me…_

Trip leaned up against the wall and grinned suddenly. She looked up at him.

“Commander?” T’Pol asked.

“I was wonderin’. Whose dancin’ did you like better last night, mine or Jonathan’s?”

Her eyes widened at the same moment. “I beg your pardon?”

“I mean—Oh, wait, I wasn’t supposed to know that…Um, someone told me. So…whose was better?”

Her eyes flashed slightly with suppressed anger as she stood up to address him.

“No one, other than the person who told you, had better hear about this.”

Trip shook his finger and grinned. “You still haven’t answered the question.”

She stared at him for a moment, then turned away. T’Pol felt her blood beginning to rise up to her face once more. Although she knew the answer to Mr. Tucker’s question she wished to keep the answer to herself. Her wish was not answered, for Trip peeked around her shoulder to catch the Vulcan turning green.

“Hey...are you blushin'?!” he exclaimed. No response. “You ARE blushin’! See, I knew it! You’re in love with him!”

“Your imagination is far too creative,” she retorted. Had she been human, T’Pol would have rolled her eyes.

“Is it? You’re the one that told me ’bout how touchin’ between you Vulcans can bring about arousal and all that nonsense when…”

“Commander Tucker,” T’Pol said very shortly. She let out a very exasperated sigh. “Whatever arousal I may or may not feel is absolutely none of your business. If I were attracted to Captain Archer, which I can assure you I am not, I wouldn’t act on those feelings. And if I did so, that would not be any of your concern either. Do I make myself clear?”

Trip nodded. “I’m just worried about the both of ya, that’s all. I mean, Jonathan gets all upset every time I mention our neuropressure sessions and you seem to change colors every time I bring up his name.”

A puzzled look came across her face.

“Did you say Jonathan gets upset about our neuropressure session?” Trip noticed her eyes seemed to light up for an instant.

“Well…” Trip scratched his head in feigned thought. If she wanted some information, T’Pol was gonna work for it. This could turn out to be a funny story to tell Malcolm and Hoshi about tomorrow.

“Commander,” T’Pol stated again, wanting a reply but not wanting to seem too eager about it.

“Hmm…Well, I don’t know _exactly_ how upset he was.” Tucker turned away so T’Pol wouldn’t notice how hard he was trying not to laugh.

“If you are as worried about the two of us as you claim, you should allow me to help if I can.”

He turned around once more. “I can think of something he’d like.”

T’Pol’s bright eyes widened. “And that would be?”

“Well, two things. First of all, he’d like for me to stop gettin’ neuropressure.

“And secondly?” she felt herself becoming anxious for Mr. Tucker’s answer.

“I think he’d like his own neuropressure sessions.” _And maybe something more personal, if given the chance,_ Trip thought tactfully. He broke his thought as he saw T’Pol looking a bit…well, if he didn’t know better, he’d say she looked a bit excited. However, this soon faded.

“Jonathan did complain of his shoulder hurting earlier tonight. I suggested neuropressure may help his ailment, but he declined. He said it might be ‘too intimate’ for his liking.” She continued to look away from Trip, who nodded.

 _There was a reason he declined,_ he thought. While Jon may be a bit lax on rules about relationships between crewmen, he would never cross the line of being intimate with any of the crew himself…well, technically, T’Pol no longer _was_ part of the crew. Soval had assigned her to Enterprise and she had resigned from the High Command for reasons he still wasn’t too clear on. So officially she wasn't apart of the crew, but a private observer.

“Isn’t it a bit odd that of all the people to link with on the ship mentally, it was Jonathan?” he asked her.

T’Pol let out a barely auditable sigh, knowing where this would soon lead to.

“This link may not be permanent. After all, our neuropressure involves a higher level of intimacy that Jonathan and I haven’t achieved…”

“Yet,” Trip muttered under his breath.

“…and nothing of the sort has happened between you and I.”

“You know,” he began, “I remember you tellin’ me this sort of thing only happens between...um…um, what was the term you used? Had somethin’ to do with mates or…”

“Bond mates,” she stated.

At the same time a question popped unexpectedly into her head:  _Is Jonathan_ my _bond mate?_ The thought of that caused a rise in her heart rate, but T’Pol found this to be illogical. At most, Jonathan had another fifty years of his life left, and she’d outlive him by nearly eighty years. It would be foolish to initiate a bond with him or any human for that matter as Vulcans, upon bonding, stayed with their mates until one of them died. A second marriage for a Vulcan was highly unusual. All this thought on marriage made T’Pol question for the first time if she’d ever marry one of her own kind, given her illness.

“Yeah, that’s it,” Trip had replied. “And you told me there’s ceremonies to start up these bonds between arranged marriages like the one you would have been in, but this one just springs up between you an’ Jon? Are you even listening to what I said?” He noticed that T’Pol’s mind was somewhere else. “Hey…hello?”

She mentally shook herself. “I apologize. I was…thinking.”

“May I ask what?” As T’Pol sat down, Trip could tell that whatever had been on her mind just then had her a bit rattled. He sat down with her. “Hey, if it anythin’ that’s real confidential, I can keep a secret.”

T’Pol gave him a questionable look.

“Um…mostly.”

That was true. She had told Commander Tucker about the fact that her fiancée’s family had called her back to Vulcan for the wedding and he had managed to keep that a secret to this day. Of course, this was after he had read the encrypted message on his own, being afraid she was being disloyal to the ship. Well, they _had_ spent time every two to three days engaging in the neuropressure. She could tell him this one thing.

“Very well. You can’t repeat this to anyone.”

“Especially not Jon,” he added. She didn’t respond to that.

“I have engaged in…activities that are looked down upon in my culture.”

“Such as?” Trip asked. He found it hard that the Vulcan who had once ridiculed him for “Improper conduct” in the first few weeks of _Enterprise_ ’s mission would her do something that would be looked down on.

“I’d rather not get into details,” she said a bit quietly, and Trip for once didn’t press it. “As a result of my behavior, I have to live with some life altering implications. These implication nearly had me recalled to Vulcan about nine months ago, and it would have cost me my career had my superiors had found out.”

Trip was stunned by this. He hadn’t known that she was almost _recalled_ from the ship. How did _this_ escape him? Wait…perhaps…

“Is that why you resigned the High Command?”

“No, and that wasn’t what I wanted to discuss. These implications make it very unlikely that I will ever find a permanent mate…at least one who is Vulcan.” Her eyes fell to the floor, and if Trip didn't know any better, he would think she was actually a bit downhearted about this.

“And without a mate, I will die within my first Ponn Farr cycle.”

Trip had once been told about the Ponn Farr—a biological cycle that forced Vulcans to mate once every seven years or else the resultant fever would cause their organs to be cooked. It wasn’t a very pleasant death. Trip wasn’t sure of T’Pol’s age, but he guess she was fairly close to the age where these cycles would begin.

T’Pol realized how quiet Commander Tucker was. “I apologize if this was a lot to take in.”

“Oh, no, it’s all right. You’ve really helped me over these past few months, an’ I’d be glad to repay ya.”

Tucker thought to himself, _Man, that’s a lot to live with…musta been serious if it almost costed T’Pol her career._ He had a feeling Jonathan may know more about this than he did, but kept quiet for her sake.

_But she cares about him. Jonathan certainly cares for her—he loves her! But damnit, they’re so scared to death of explorin’ those feelin’s! Does T’Pol think that she would be the first Vulcan to…_

Then Trip remembered a Vulcan that did. He coughed to break the silence between them.

 “I had a science teacher once in high school. Him name was Mr. Sanek, an’ he was the first Vulcan I’d ever met. I thought he was the most stuffiest, arrogant person I’d ever known.”

“I’ve heard you say something similar about myself,” T’Pol quipped. Tucker’s eyes looked away for a moment before continuing.

“Um…yeah…one day, I came into his room an’ there was a woman speaking with him…a human woman now. Turned out to be his wife.”

T’Pol sat up a bit at this. “I’ve never known a Vulcan to marry a human.” She hadn’t even known if interspecies marriages were legalized on Earth.

“Yeah, but when I saw him there with her, I could just tell….he felt something for her. Sure, there’s no wine and romance between them, but that’s not all a relationship’s about. Ya gotta trust the person you’re with before you can care for them, and it was obvious to me that he trusted and cared for this _human_ woman." Trip emphasized the word “Human” very heavily.

Even if she doubted how deeply she felt for Jonathan, T’Pol knew for fact that she trusted him with her life.

“Then I saw ‘em do this.” Trip took his middle and index fingers on one hand and rubbed them across the same two fingers on the other hand. “Looked real affectionate.”

“That’s because it was. It’s a gesture to show that we care for someone deeply on Vulcan. Much like when humans kiss.”

And suddenly, T’Pol had a vision of herself showing this gesture to Jonathan. She felt her cheeks tingle and felt from the now much-too-familiar sensation that her cheeks were changing colors. Trip saw it, but didn’t feel the need to point that out. Somehow, he knew now just wasn’t the right time for it.

“Just because you feel for someone doesn’t mean you have to lose who you are.”

T’Pol realized what the point of Mr. Tucker’s story was. Jonathan was human and she was Vulcan. And T’Pol was beginning to doubt the idea that this bond between herself and Jonathan was merely a fluke. If she wanted to…if it were possible to be…she and Jonathan could be bond mates. But did she want that? Human males were known to change partners so often. In some Terran cultures, males were allowed to marry as many females as they desired. If he were ever to change his mind, _she’d_ feel the effects of it.

 “It’s not as simple as that. Vulcans bond for life and I’d have to be certain that Jonathan wanted a life-long commitment.”

Trip smiled, seeing that he’d finally gotten through to her.

“So...you’re gonna…tell him?”

She paused. “I’ll think about it.”

Trip nodded. _Well, it’s a start…she was easier to get through to than Jon was._

“He feels the same way. I know he does.” He paused for a moment to let that sink it fully. “Well, I think I’ve had enough of sitting around here.”

“Agreed.”

As they stood up and took a few steps, T’Pol suddenly stumbled, but managed to right herself up quickly without Tucker’s help. Still, Trip was worried.

“You okay there? Need any help?”

She placed a hand on her forehead and found the floor was moving slightly.

“I don’t know…this came upon me suddenly.” T’Pol found her keen eyesight becoming a bit fuzzy, too. Then it occurred to her. “I believe I’m feeling a bit intoxicated.”

Trip was confused. “Um…you haven’t had a drink all night.”

“I didn’t say I _was_ intoxicated.”

His eyes widened. Damn, that link hadn’t been between them for one whole day yet, and T’Pol was able to experience something like _that?_  Well, no one could convince him they didn’t care about one another. Trip led T’Pol out of the room and into the direction Archer and Shran had gone.

***

 _I should’ve stopped after the first one,_ Jonathan thought to himself. Right now, he felt a bit tired, and the third drink Shran had ordered for the both of them was really getting to him now. That third drink caused him to spill the beans on how cute T’Pol’s ears were (Shran let out a snort on this one) and how pissed off he was about that lucky son of a bitch that got neuropressure from her “every damn day,” in his exact words (when Jon knew it was about three days, tops.)

“My apologies, Captain. I wasn’t aware that drink would intoxicate you so much. You held down Andorian ale so well, and I thought….”

“Naw…’is okay, buddy.” The room seemed to fade in and out of focus and a headache began to form. “I just keep thinking that if I got wasted that T’Pol’s gonna feel it too.”

 _Again, you worry about the Vulcan. But does she worry about you? It is interesting how such a distant creature would attract the eye of such a passionate person like this pinkskin. It so apparent that he cares for her in more than a professional way,_ the Andorian thought.

Shran leaned over to him.

“Captain…I’ve heard this sort of mental link only happens between bond mates.”

“Bond mates? What’s that?”

“A union between two Vulcans that can never be broken. Once they bond, it’s for life.” He leaned in closer. “Do you think the Vulcan wants _you_ as hers?”

Neither man saw Trip and a seeming drunk T’Pol walk in.

Jonathan looked at the Andorian in stunned silence, then let out a laugh.

“Shran, that’s ridiculous! I mean, she couldn’t stand me two years ago…I can’t stand most Vulcans, let alone…bond with one! I just can’t…”

As he stood up to turn around, Jonathan Archer was greeted by the sight of T’Pol and Tucker behind him. He smiled at the both of them, swaying a bit as he stood. “Hi,” he grinned.

“Jonathan, let’s go,” T’Pol said sharply. She grabbed him by the arm and began to guide him away from the table. At least she knew now that the bond between them would most certain have to be temporary. It wouldn’t be logical to bond with someone that didn’t like your species.

“Breaking up the party so soon?” Shran taunted. “And you have such a lovely dress on, too.”

Archer pulled away from her and nearly fell on his face while going towards Shran. “Quit looking at her. She doesn’t want you.”

Shran gave one glance at Archer, then looked over at T’Pol.

“Tell me, Sub-Commander. Do you care about him?” he nodded in Archer’s direction. Trip couldn’t help but watch Jonathan as well. T’Pol stood there and refused to dignify that with an answer.

“That’s why you came here. You felt his intoxication. Do you feel his passion for you as well?”

“I beg your pardon?” She glared at the Andorian and had almost yelled at him. Her control was well enough not to allow such an emotional reaction.  She looked over at Jonathan, who could say nothing to this. It would be useless to try and comprehend just what he was thinking in his present condition.

“I thought you would, seeing as though you two are practically bond mates.”

“We’re _not_ bond mates,” she stated dryly and pulled Jonathan in front of her. T’Pol turned and gave the man an icy glare. “Good evening, Commander Shran.” She and Jonathan walked away, Jonathan walking a bit slower than usual. Trip stayed behind with Shran.

“How’d you get _that_ out of him?” he said.

“It was pretty obvious he liked the Vulcan. This little drink here…” he tapped on his glass “—had quite a bit of alcohol. Your captain is a truthful drunk.”

Trip wasn’t sure if he should knock the man on his ass or congratulate him.

“Tell him I said good luck,” Shran told him. “And I wouldn’t continue those neuropressure session with her if I were you.”

With the way Jon had reacted earlier when he was sober, Trip had already deemed his sessions were numbered…like at zero, to be exact.

 _Well, I_ can _live without them._ With a slight nod and a quick “so long,” Tucker ran to catch up with the tipsy couple. He found her giving Jonathan a lecture about overdrinking.

“Oh, Shran’s all right, T’Pol,” he slurred.

“He wouldn’t have let you get so intoxicated if he were a friend,” the irritable Vulcan snapped. And for a moment, she had actually considered a bond with such an irrational, reckless and now seemingly thoughtless person. Her inner fury with him didn’t match the one she had for herself.

“Well, how am _I_ to know you could feel that? I don’t know anything about this bonding stuff!”

Trip got between the two of them to stave off the fight. “Hey, everyone calm down. We’ll get some rest soon. Hey…where are you guys stayin’ ?”

T’Pol was able to focus her mind long enough to reach their destination and open the door. Porthos ran up to greet each of them.

“Down, boy,” Trip told the pup and it listened to him. He looked around at the room and the bed. “That’s a large enough bed.”

“Ah, my head is killing me…I won’t take another drink again…”

“I should hope not, Jonathan,” she replied as he settled himself in the sofa and pulled the cover on himself. T’Pol walked over to the sofa and kneeled beside it. “I advise that you use more caution if you do choose to drink again during this week. You forget that I feel the effects of your…actions…as well.”

But Jonathan was nearly asleep and was dimly aware of what was going on around him…or what he was about to say next:

“So if I think you’re the sexiest woman I’ve ever met, you’d know that?”

T’Pol was quiet as Trip snickered to himself. “Perhaps.”

“So you also know that I love you.”

Her heart leapt for one moment and T’Pol’s eyes grew bigger, if it were even possible. Then she reminded herself he was drunk and didn’t know what he was saying.

“Good night, Jonathan.”

She walked past Trip to step into the bathroom to change.

“Um...you don’t mind if I stay here for tonight? I’m a bit tired and my room is a bit a ways from here. Besides, I want to know if you two will be all right…you know, with listening to each other and all.”

“There’s no room here.”

“Eh, I can take the floor. I’m just worried about you and Jonathan is all.”

T’Pol would feel a bit more comfortable with a second person here. “Very well. Extra blankets are in the closet over there.” She pointed in a different direction and went to change.

***

Both Jonathan and T’Pol fell asleep quite easily that night. As they had for a long time now, they both had a dream about one another…but this night, the dream felt so real that each was a bit surprised to wake up by themselves in the morning. It wasn’t so much the dream that felt real, but the other’s presence in it and the emotions shared.

_It was nighttime and the two found themselves on a secluded beach. They sat close to one another as the gentle tide rolled up to greet their toes in the sand. Jonathan sat behind her with his legs around her own. He rested his head on top of hers, and T’Pol didn’t object to this._

“ _I really like this,” he whispered in her ear. “Just the both of us here…alone…no responsibility.”_

_She reached out for his hand._

“ _Here.” T’Pol took her middle and index fingers and wrapped them around the same two fingers on his own hand guiding them up and around them. He had never had anyone do that before, and the sensation brought him a lot of comfort. The warm sensation quickly moved throughout his whole being._

“ _What was that?” he asked, beaming._

“ _It’s a sign of affection between Vulcans.”_

_Jonathan nodded and grinned._

“ _Well, we humans have_ our _way of showing affection, too. It’s a bit more fun.  At least we think so.”_

“ _How?” she asked._

_Jonathan placed one hand on either shoulder, knelt her back and turned his head towards her as she was lowered and pulled her in real close for a kiss. T’Pol felt her toes curl inward slightly from this. All too soon, they broke away from one another to catch the air._

“You are correct,” T’Pol said. “That was more…pleasurable.” Jonathan grinned again until he noticed her turning away from him. She seemed a bit upset all of a sudden.

“ _Hey…are you okay?” He tried to reach for T’Pol’s shoulder, but she moved away._

“ _I thought you couldn’t stand most Vulcans,” she said quietly._

 _Jonathan looked a bit confused, and suddenly remembered what he had said last night. “Oh…T’Pol, I….” He stumbled for the right words. “Please don’t take this the wrong way, but I’m not very fond of most Vulcans I know of. I couldn’t even stand you for the first year you served on_ Enterprise _.”_

“ _Because I was Vulcan.”_

_He nodded. “I didn’t put out much of an effort to make you feel welcomed on the ship because I was so…self-centered and biased.  I thought this was supposed to be my mission. I was continuing my father’s work. The work that he didn’t live to see become complete. Having you—a Vulcan—on board was a reminder of the hard work my father did for the Warp V engine project and how he worked his ass off for years just for the Vulcans to say ‘Hey, thanks but no thanks.’ I let my prejudice and hard feelings to cloud my view of you, and your people."_

He looked at T’Pol again, to see she had turned to face him, and seemed a bit more compassionate.

“ _I should apologize as well,” she began. “I didn’t do my best to follow_ _through with your orders without questioning them. I noticed our conflicts caused for some tense moments on the bridge, especially for some of the less experienced crewmen.”_

“ _You don’t need to apologize. Most of the time, you were right. I mean, I sure know better than to jump go down to a planet without doing some testing for pathogens. And I know that the main job of a first officer is the safety of the Captain"_

“ _There were other moments. And I do still apologize.” She moved back closer to him, having revealed that now to Jonathan. It would be illogical to be angry at the fact that he wasn’t too fond of Vulcans when she had thought herself above humans. She had never anticipated the day that she would find herself attracted to one._

_Nor had Jonathan Archer imagined that he’d push aside his own personal grievances and not only befriend a Vulcan, but to fall in love with her too._

“ _So…you’re not mad at me anymore?” Jonathan asked._

“ _You have known me for over two and a half years. Vulcans…”_

“ _Don’t get upset or angry,” he replied. Then in a bit of a teasing tone, he added,” And I guess there’s no point in asking how you felt about that kiss…since Vulcans don’t feel anything.”_

“ _I…wouldn’t say that, Jonathan. Vulcans simply try to suppress their emotions.” T’Pol had a look in her eyes that gave the impression that she didn’t want to suppress the passion she felt for him any longer. She placed one had on his face and leaned in for another, more passionate kiss, until Jonathan broke away with a better idea._

“ _Why don’t we continue this in the water?”_

_T’Pol lifted an eyebrow. She may have learned some basic swimming skills, but she still preferred staying on land._

“ _Trust me. It’ll be more…fun.”_

“ _And how do you know this will be more…fun?” she wondered._

_Jonathan’s mind flashed back quickly to the spring break of his first year in the Academy and Suzie Parker, but knew this would be a bad time to bring up his sexual history. Instead, he silently scooped her up in his arms and carried her to the shoreline and into the waist-deep area. T’Pol gripped firmly unto his shoulders._

“ _Don’t worry, you can stand up here. I wouldn’t let anything happen to scare you.” He ran a hand in her hair, sending chills down the Vulcan’s spine. “Now, let’s have fun.”_

_The two of them continued where they left off._

 Maybe the water _is_ a good place for… fun _, T'Pol thought as they soon lost all feelings for their surroundings except each other._

***

Trip Tucker was the first of the three to wake up. Porthos went over to greet him with a big doggie kiss.

“Ack! Go try an’ lick your daddy, he needs it more than I do!”

Nevertheless, Trip sat up and heard some movement coming from the bed. He looked up to see it was just T’Pol stirring in her sleep a lot.

“Mmm...” he hear her moan. “Oh, Jonathan… yes…”

 _See, I knew she liked him,_ Trip thought. _Wait a minute…Do Vulcans have sex dreams?_ From the sound of it, it sure seemed like T’Pol was, and Trip became to feel rightfully and understandably sickened and amused at the same time. The thought of his own mom and dad going at it was less awkward, because that’s what humans _did_. But a _Vulcan?!_ That was unheard of!

_I wonder if they can communicate to each other in their sleep with that mind link thing. I’m sure Jon would love to know this._

“Hmm…you like that?” Jon said out in the air.

“Very much.”

 _They’re havin’… the same dream_ with _each other!_ With that, Trip grabbed the nearest PADD he saw and wrote a note to explain why he wasn’t there. Then he stuck the PADD on T’Pol’s nightstand quickly and ran out the room. But as…odd...as that was, he wished he could have recorded that and shown it to the both of them…even if he would have to leave the room beforehand.

***

T’Pol woke up, feeling her heart pounding against her chest. The memory of her dream lingered, as did the emotions tied along with them. Normally, she did not have thoughts of being intimate in such…open places, let alone in water. It wasn’t very practical or safe. However, she did feel safe with _him_. Jonathan had proven many times over he’d fight to never let harm come to her.

She looked over to where he was sleeping. A calming sensation swept though her from watching Jonathan rest. It was at that moment that T’Pol realized—or more accurately, accepted—that her feelings for him were more than just loyalty or friendship.

 _But how can this be?_ She told herself. _It’s not logical to experience affection for someone that I know I can never be with. Jonathan is a friend, but he is still my captain. Even if he did want a relationship with me, I wouldn’t allow him to ruin his career for me._

One of the teachings of Surak was that accepting the fact that emotions exist is the first step with dealing with them. T’Pol remembered this fact now as she had never experienced such attachment for any other sentient being and needed a bit of guidance as to how to go about suppressing those thoughts. That book would be a sensible place to look for it.

She reached over to grab the Teachings of Surek book, but hit the PADD Trip left his note on. Observing the blinking light on the screen, T’Pol picked it up first and read it:

_Hey T’Pol—I left out early, and I left this so you and Jon don’t go worrying about me. It seems you two are more than okay, so my services aren’t needed. Catch you later. –Trip_

_P.S.: Did you know you talked in your sleep? May want to watch that with Jonathan around._

_PPS: Jon talks in his sleep, too. I think he was having the same type of dream as you were. That link must have been stronger than you thought!_

T’Pol hoped this was another one of the commander’s jokes. She certainly didn’t want Jonathan to hear anything like that, even if she was asleep.

But the other part…

T’Pol hadn’t expected their minds to listen to one another while they were both asleep.

Then it occurred to her as to why she dreamt about making love in the water.

It wasn’t her dream at all.


	12. Questions

_How is that possible?_ She thought to herself. _I’ve never heard of cases where Vulcans—or any telepaths—could share dreams so detailed like mine. I experienced Jonathan’s emotions in my sleep…or perhaps I didn’t…_

This bothered T’Pol greatly. Were those emotions Jonathan’s or a figment of her imagination, as it had been for nearly the last month? She was quite aware that they could sense strong emotions from the other person—but could those feelings be so strong that neither one could distinguish which emotions were their own?

She was rather certain now that she felt deeply for him; what she did not know was whether Jonathan returned those feelings. If she were to discuss the issue of being bond mates, would he take it seriously? Would he even want to?

 _This is foolish,_ T’Pol tried to tell herself. _Jonathan Archer is still my commanding officer. He is also my friend, and I shouldn’t put my desires above his needs._

But was it just desire that she for him?

An empty, hollow emotion such as that would fade away as soon as they returned to their normal duties two days from now. Her dreams had persisted long before shore leave, but none of those were so powerful as what she felt last night. It wasn’t just the intimacy that had felt real; T’Pol’s conversation with Jonathan about what he had said to Shran last night seemed very much like something they would say to one another.

And yet another issue arose.

Why did his comment bother her so much? T’Pol was very aware of the fact that Jonathan had not wanted her on this mission when _Enterprise_ first left space dock because she was Vulcan. He’d made many comments against Vulcans and their culture in the first year she had served with him, and not one of them she gave much thought to after the fact, passing it off as human emotionalism and irrationality. If that was the case two years ago, surely it could be applied for last night. After all, Jonathan had been drunk and may not have known what he said. At least she hoped that was the case.

T’Pol also wondered how his opinion had become so important to her. Not just on issues regarding the ship, but little trivial matters. For example, she was scanning a list of human literature one night two weeks ago.

 _When I had trouble sleeping,_ she thought, _because of my dreams…_

She figured that some reading might help to get her mind off of certain matters that she didn’t wish to confront. Jonathan came into the Mess Hall, where T’Pol happened to be sitting. He walked over to her so quietly she didn’t hear him and nearly jumped when he placed a hand on her shoulder.

“What’s that?” he asked, in regards to the PADD.

“I couldn’t sleep,” she had told him, “and I looking up for some human literature. Perhaps it may help to remedy my insomnia.”

“Hmm…” he had said, and began to pace the floor like he did when in deep thought. T’Pol found herself awaiting his answer quite eagerly.

“Well, I have a few suggestions. There’s a book I read in eleventh grade for English called _The Grapes Of Wrath._ It’s about a family of farmers from the Ozarks that travel out to California during the Great Depression. Do you know about that?”

“Not much.”

“Well, that’s a great book for that…there was also a fun little series of books that was really popular back in the early 21st century. It was about a boy who finds out he’s a wizard when he turns eleven years old. _Harry Potter_ was the name of the book series, and it was also the boy wizard’s name. I used to love reading those books. Some adults I know still read it.”

T’Pol nodded quietly. “I shall have to look for that series.”

Jonathan laughed. “I hope you have lots of free time. The last three books were pretty lengthy, and it gets rather hard to put them down.”

“Length is most unusual in children’s literature. Thank you for your suggestion.” She stood up to leave, but Jonathan’s voice stopped her.

T’Pol, I…I, um…” She gazed at him silently. “I was curious about, um…Vulcan literature. What types of stories are out there that Vulcans enjoy?”

For some odd reason, T’Pol sensed nervousness in his voice when he had asked this. At the time, she had ignored it and answered his question.

“There aren’t many fictional stories that are written on Vulcan today. However, we do enjoy good poetry. And then, there are stories written about famous figures in Vulcan history…”

Jonathan had missed that last part. He had just the thing for her.

“T’Pol, could you stay here for just one moment?”

“Certainly,” she replied. She watched him run out and three minutes later Jonathan had returned with a book entitled _Famous Poems of the 19th Century._ He handed it to her.

“Here you go. This will certainly keep you entertained for a while.”

 _He was smiling a lot when he stated that,_ T’Pol now remembered. The memory of his beautiful smile made her feel as though her temperature was rising. She recalled feeling something similar at time as well.

“Thank you, Captain,” she had said.

“It’s 0300 hours. Call me Jonathan.”`

She got up to leave, but stopped before the doors opened up. It was obvious that he had wanted to do this for her, so perhaps she should return the favor.

“Perhaps sometime, I’ll read you some Vulcan poetry,” T’Pol said without looking back. She had felt her cheeks tingling.

“I look forward to it,” he replied, and she walked out.

Indeed, Jonathan had been right. T’Pol had been intrigued by the poems. Some were more complex than others, but none was less insightful than the poem that preceded it. Somehow, it had shed some light into human society as well as those romantic notions she had once looked down upon. T’Pol began to understand a bit more about Jonathan from them.

When had she ceased to see Captain Archer?

She was aware of Jonathan’s position as captain of _Enterprise_ , but of late T’Pol was having difficulty remembering that. Mentally, she had stopped referring to him as Captain Archer but simply as Jonathan. In fact, she had difficulty remembering her role as his first officer as well as well as how the lines in their relationship had become so blurred…

“ _I respect Captain Archer as a person and as my superior officer. My feelings and thoughts end there. I have no romantic interest in him.”_

She had said that less than forty-eight hours ago to Commander Tucker when they had all eaten dinner together. That was when he had accused her of being envious of the waitress that had seemed interested in Jonathan that night. Now T’Pol was questioning that last part of her statement. She certainly did respect and admire him.

Admired a human. She could not have fathomed that when she left Earth on April 13th, 2151.

She pondered a new question: when had she truly begun to admire Jonathan?

The answer came quickly. It was when he had found out about her Pa’Nar syndrome via three Vulcan doctors that had found out about her condition in a less than direct approach. His biggest worry, other than her health of course, had been whether or not she’d lose her career because of her illness—one which she had not brought on herself. He had even gone to the great length of ordering Ensign Sato of finding a loophole in the Vulcan database that would allow a chance to defend her case. Jonathan did a lot of work to help her keep her career and to gather as much information about Pa’Nar to get some help for her. He never judged her or asked question about it, he simply helped her, whether she wanted him to or not.

 _I never fully expressed my gratitude for his help,_ T’Pol realized with the slightest twang of guilt. _There are many people he helped when he helped me._

 _I never thought about all of them,_ she heard Jonathan distinctly say. _I really cared most about you._

T’Pol looked over to find Jonathan was still sleeping and she concentrated on blocking her thoughts from his before she continued.

If she really had no attraction to Jonathan Archer, why did it agitate her so much whenever someone accused her of it?

Doctor Phlox thought she was attracted to Jonathan. Commander Tucker thought so and made an effort to convince her of this every day this week. Jonathan’s friend Fellis believed this. Even Commander Shran, who had just heard about their newly acquired ability, said they were “practically bond mates.” For once, an Andorian had some rationale behind an illogical statement.

_But his argument isn’t illogical._

She also remembered what Commander Tucker had said the night before: _Ya gotta trust the person you’re with before you can care for them._ And indeed, without a doubt, she trusted Jonathan. He had proven himself worthy of her loyalty in many instances—especially last year when she had to go capture Menos, the fugitive she had let escape on Risa eighteen years ago. It brought back many difficult memories, as well as even more difficult emotions—the ones she had an operation to try and erase. But he had been there for her, and Jonathan had yet to comment about her emotional display while they were looking for him.

_Denial is not a river in Egypt._

The saying came into T’Pol’s mind suddenly. She had only heard it once and that was in a movie one Monday evening a very long time ago. She couldn’t even recall the name of the movie, but that wasn’t the issue.

_I’ve been trying to convince myself that my feelings for Jonathan didn’t go deeper than that of a close friend. I was wrong. Even now, as our minds have a mental link, I couldn’t fully accept my feelings until this moment. Nearly everyone that I’ve spoken with has mentioned that I have feelings for him. However…_

She looked over at Jonathan, who was still sleeping off his inevitable hangover.

_I never said anything to Commander Tucker to truly discourage his accusations of my attraction to Jonathan. I could have ordered him to stop, but I never considered that as an option. Perhaps I subconsciously wanted to be convinced. Mr. Tucker believes Jonathan feels the same, but I’m not certain of this._

And another question formed in the Vulcan’s mind: What would she do if she knew for certain if he returned those emotions? An idea formed inside her mind.

She closed her eyes and focused upon connecting with Jonathan’s mind.

***

_She found herself lying under a magnolia tree wearing a pink dress that came down to the back of her knees. Jonathan was next to her, with one hand around her back. He was smiling._

“ _You look lovely,” he told her._

“ _Thank you,” she replied, not knowing what else to say._

“ _I hope to have children someday. If I have a girl, I’d want her to be like you.” He pulled her in a little bit closer and wrapped his other free arm around her. T’Pol pressed her cheek against his while placing her hands on his shoulders._

“ _I’ve loved you for so long,” Jonathan said to her. “It was when I found out about your illness. I had never thought about the fact that I could lose you until then. I took you for granted, and I never realized how much I needed you, or cared for you.”_

“ _And I hadn’t realized what a noble person you could be until you helped me,” T’Pol told him. She wasn’t lying about it either. “Thank you.”_

_She moved to stroke his face gently._

“ _Do you think we can just…you know…just hold each other?” Jonathan asked._

“ _Yes…Aisha.”_

“ _Is that…Vulcan for something?” He asked, but T’Pol had already fallen asleep, indulging in bliss she denied herself in her waking hours. Somehow, he knew whatever that meant, it was very wonderful. He didn’t want to wake that serene face of hers to ask. Instead, Jonathan closed his eyes too._

***

Normally, Jonathan would wake up feeling very groggy after drinking as much as he had last night, but this morning he felt refreshed for some reason.

_Maybe it was that dream I had…_

Those dreams felt very real. T’Pol felt real in them, right down to her lemony, spicy scent.

 _That word she used…aisha…_ For some reason, he couldn’t forget that. He didn’t know the meaning of the word, nor had he ever heard it before, but yet knew it wasn’t one that was used causally in the modern Vulcan language. It meant something special, as though T’Pol herself had spoken to him.

“Good morning.”

T’Pol had walked over to him. He sat up on the sofa.

“I trust you slept well,” he said.

“Indeed.” The two of them were silent for several seconds. “I’ll go and get some breakfast.”

As she stood up and took a step away, Jonathan reached out for her arm and caught her hand instead. This gesture caused T’Pol to turn her head very quickly and looked a bit shocked by his action. Having caught her attention, he reluctantly let go.

“Wait...I, er…have a question. Is there a word in the Vulcan language that sounds like ‘Aisha’?” He noticed T’Pol’s eyes grew a little shifty.

“There is. ‘Aisha’ is the Vulcan word for beloved.”

She found it quite odd that she now knew Jonathan felt the same way she did about him, but yet she still felt awkward about telling him this.

“are you okay?” Jonathan asked her. “Your face…it’s turning…green?”

“I’m fine,” she said shortly and made a quick escape out the room.

“That was odd, wasn’t it, boy?” Archer said to Porthos. “Her cheeks just changing like that. It was almost as though she was blushing.”

The last three words of his sentence were a bit quieter than the others. It just dawned on him that T’Pol actually _was_ in his dream—and in the other one, too! Which could only meant one thing.

_T’Pol’s attracted to me, too._

It scared him. He had so many questions running in his mind just now, but one he couldn’t answer: Why him? What could she possibly see in him that could make her fall in love with him?

He didn’t give her any logical reason to care about him when she first came on this mission. Jonathan couldn’t even count how many times he had criticized T’Pol’s culture in just the first eight weeks alone. There were a few times when the criticizism hadn’t been misplaced—the Vulcan monastery/spy room came to mind—but most of the time, he was just being an asshole about it because of his pigheadedness.

 _How did I fall in love with a woman that belong to a species I can barely tolerate?_ He asked himself.  

If someone had told him three years ago that he’d fall madly in love with a Vulcan, Jonathan would have laughed till his sides hurt. These people held his father’s work back for so long that he died before ever seeing his engine fly. That grudge had carried over to every Vulcan he met, including T’Pol. But after he had discovered her illness and the way the doctors had treated her, he finally realized _she_ wasn’t responsible for that. He still wasn’t too fond of Vulcans, but Jonathan had learned to push aside his feelings and judge people accordingly.

It was these differences that attracted him to T’Pol in the first place!

Whenever he was brash she was there to tell him to think rationally. When Jonathan had feared that _Enterprise_ ’s mission was to be ended after an unfortunate accident that killed a whole planet, (which had been the result of Suliban work) Jonathan stayed in his room and moped. He would have stayed there, too, if T’Pol had not come in and told him not to feel sorry for himself. She had even offered to defend the ship’s honor! It was inevitable that he would feel at least _some_ attraction towards her.

But all too soon, Jonathan Archer remembered what his position was on the ship. Some things wouldn’t change, and being Captain was one of them. Every person on _Enterprise_ looked up to T’Pol as a commanding officer. She reported directed to _him._ What would the crew think if she were to start fooling around with him, the Captain?

_I couldn’t let myself get involve with her. I wouldn’t even allow that.  She’s still a part of my crew, even if it isn’t official. I respect her. I love her._

T’Pol returned with there meals. Her facial color had returned to normal. She set the tray down on the table and sat next to him.

As she sipped her drink, T’Pol asked him in a calm matter, “Did you visit the beach in San Francisco often when you lived there?”

He shook his head. “I usually stayed there between missions. Even while I was in training, I didn’t have that much free time. Why?”

“I have heard that there is a shoreline to an ocean about 1.2 kilometers due east of here. It is quite popular around this time of year.” Then she added, “It would be a good opportunity to practice my new swimming skills.”

T’Pol looked at him, her eyes a little wider than usual. Their eyes met and they stayed gazing at one another for a rather long time in silence. Finally, Jonathan broke the silence.

“Well, um…we’ll go. If that’s what you want to do.” He felt as excited and giddy as he did at fifteen when he went on his first date. The image of T’Pol in her swimsuit was still very fresh in his mind and the though of it made his blood run south. “I guess we should get some things together.”

As they packed, Jonathan found it coincidence that T’Pol would suggest going to a beach when it was exactly what he was dreaming about last night. Then again, she had been in the dream with him. They had both shared the memory.

 _But how do I bring it up?_ He asked himself. _She may have these feelings towards me, but she probably doesn’t want to express them. I can’t do that. Maybe I should just enjoy our friendship as it is. After all, T’Pol would never mix her career with her personal life._

“Perhaps we should bring Porthos along,” T’Pol suggested. “I’m sure he’ll need to be walked today.” She remembered how eager for exercise he was yesterday morning. She looked down at the beagle, who was happily wagging his tail.

Jonathan picked him up. “Sure, we can all go. Can’t we, boy?” He gave off a laugh as Porthos licked his cheek.  T’Pol felt her heart beating a bit more rapidly at the sight of his smile. She opened the door to let them out. Jonathan placed Porthos on the ground and let him walk by his side.

“T’Pol,” Jonathan asked, “Do Vulcans blush? I thought you did earlier this morning.”

T’Pol was silent for several seconds before answering. “I merely felt a little…warmer than usual. I am fine now.” She didn’t see Archer grin at this statement. He knew it was her way of saying yes.

 _Just leave well enough alone, Jonathan,_ he told himself.

***

About an hour later, the duo found themselves standing on a small cliff overlooking a beach of white sand not unlike that in Hawaii. The tide had come in and several Jyoran children were out in the water on what looked like surfboards. T’Pol looked around to see if she couldn’t find a more secluded area, but none was to be found.

“Well, here we are,” Jonathan said. “I see a place where we can get changed. Let’s go.”

The day was absolutely perfect. The sun was shining and not a cloud was to be found. Even the last traces of snow around there room were nearly gone.

Neither T’Pol nor Jonathan Archer knew their lives would change forever later that night, but for now, they merely were enjoying each other’s company, having accepted their feelings about the other at last.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ...yeah, I don't know how the snow that was thick enough to supposedly ski on disappeared in three days either, or why I have two swimming scenes in this story, hahaha


	13. Fun In the Sun

There were many strengths that T’Pol admired in Jonathan Archer, but his sense of perception wasn’t one of them. He had the ability to perceive when she wasn’t being completely honest with him, but when it came to other things, it seemed to her that he was oblivious to them. This was one of those times. There was a reason she had suggested coming to the shoreline today and not for his recreation. T’Pol was curious as to whether Jonathan would make any comment about their dream to her.

 _Perhaps he doesn’t know that we shared the dream,_ she thought while changing into her bathing suit. _He may not realize that I have feelings for him. But nevertheless…we can’t. I won’t let him._

T’Pol believed it would be best not to let these emotions control her actions. Jonathan was still her commanding officer after all and a close friend. By discovering her feelings about him, she realized just how valuable his friendship was to her. Sexual intimacy was known to change behaviors between two humans, especially between friends. It usually wasn’t for the better.

She stepped out of her changing room to find Jonathan waiting for her. He was wearing nothing but his surf shorts, and his shirtless torso was every bit as attractive as she had remembered it to be from three days ago.

“Hey, T’Pol. You took a while in there. T’Pol?”

Jonathan noticed she was looking at something in his direction. He turned around to see what it was, but he saw nothing. He didn’t fathom the idea that she was admiring his abdomen muscles. The sound of her name snapped her back into reality. “What were you looking at?” he asked.

She blinked. “I thought I…saw something. I was mistaken. Shall we continue?”

He nodded and they walked out onto the sand where Jonathan promptly removed his shoes. T’Pol gave him a curious look, which he noticed quickly.

“You’ll be more comfortable,” he told her. “Try it.”

She sat down beside him on a nearby rock and removed her own shoes, placing them in the bag with her change of clothing. The feel of the sand beneath her feet was a foreign sensation, despite the fact most of Vulcan’s soil consisted of it. T’Pol stuck one set of toes a bit deeper into the sand to get a better feel of the gritty texture. She watched Jonathan smile.

“It’ll feel better once we get over to the water,” he said. Jonathan extended a hand to pull her up, which she accepted. T’Pol had expected him to release her hand once she was standing, but instead he held onto it for a while longer, examining her fingers and running a thumb over them.

“I wasn’t aware you grew out your fingernails,” he told her. It wasn’t why he was caressing her hand the way he was, though.

“If they are against regulation, I can shorten them once we return to _Enterprise,_ ” she responded nervously. T’Pol hoped her cheeks weren’t turning green yet again, even if her heart was beating rapidly once more. She adverted her eyes from his for a moment.

“That’s not why I mentioned it,” he told her, “I just happened to notice, that’s all. They’re, um…lovely.”

T’Pol watched Jonathan’s own cheeks turn a bright pink for a moment before she removed her hand from his a bit hastily. Jonathan cleared his throat and they both continued walking down the shoreline.

_Smooth, Jonathan. Real smooth._

While Jonathan chastised himself for indulging in a bit of a secret pleasure, T’Pol did the same for allowing such an action to continue. She should have practiced a bit more restraint by removing her hand sooner.

Their thoughts vanished once Jonathan found the perfect place to begin. It was an area that contained a large rock about two meters away from the shore. The water wasn’t very still, but there were no hard waves. He hoped T’Pol didn’t find it too challenging.

“I would need something that was a bit challenging, Jonathan, or else my skills would not improve.”

Jonathan looked surprised to hear her respond to his thought. “Are you still able to listen my thoughts?”

“It appears so. Have you tried the technique I showed you last night?” T’Pol asked.

He shook his head. “Too much to drink.”

T’Pol didn’t respond to that. She proceeded to take a step into the water to realize it was much colder than the body of water she had had her first swimming lesson in. Her body shivered for a brief second and she rubbed her arms.

“Is it really cold?” Jonathan questioned. He too stepped into the water and walked in till he was calf-deep in it. Well, he’d certainly been in much colder. “You’ll be fine as long as you come in quickly. Standing in one place only makes it harder.”

Normally, T’Pol would have heeded advice like that. However, Vulcans weren’t keen on cold temperatures, especially with the added discomfort of water. The only reason T'Pol was anywhere near an ocean was because Jonathan was with her.

“I would prefer to warm up slowly,” she called out to him.

Suddenly, an idea sprung into Archer’s mind. He could get her into the water.

T’Pol watched Jonathan walk out of the water and come towards her. “Was the water too cold for you?” she asked.

“Nope.” And with that, he picked her up by the waist and threw her over his shoulder with one hand on her back and the other on the backs of her legs. The gesture took T’Pol by surprise. She quickly realized what he intended to do.

“Let go of me!” she said, but her demands were unheeded. Jonathan walked until he was waist-deep in the ocean before setting a very dismayed T’Pol down in it. With their height difference, the water went up over her rib case. At first the water felt extremely cold, but the longer she stood in there, the more bearable it became. Her initial agitation subsided quickly.

Jonathan placed a hand on her shoulder. “See? It wasn’t that bad.”

“You could have warned me first,” she snapped. “But since I’m already here, we should begin.”

“All right, then. You remember the back stroke, right?” Jonathan helped her to float on her back.

When he did this, he noticed that’s T’Pol’s ears weren’t the only thing on her anatomy that were pointy. While the water temperature was still bearable, it was far from an ideal warmth…well, for T’Pol, anyway.

 _At least Vulcan and human women have something in common,_ Jonathan thought. _Damnit, stop staring!! Stop thinking about it!_ He was more than fortunate that his swim trunks had bit of extra room in them. He’d most certainly need it, given he was already larger than average.

T’Pol had never realized how large his hands were until he placed them on her back. Touching was rather intimate between members of her species, and touching one’s back—especially one that was bare, due to the style of swimsuit—was extremely personal. She had let Commander Tucker do so once in their neuropressure sessions, but neither one had felt comfortable doing so and they had never attempted it again.

But the way Jonathan was caressing her back…she wished he were the one that needed the neuropressure sessions.

_He’d certainly have been better at it than Commander Tucker._

“Better at what?” Jonathan asked. She looked at him was though she wasn’t sure what he was referring to. “I, um, heard what you said.”

Seeing that she couldn’t get out of this, T’Pol replied, “I was just thinking that you would have learned the Vulcan art of neuropressure much more quickly than Commander Tucker.”

Jonathan looked surprised, but was very pleased to hear it. “How so?”

T’Pol righted herself and took one of his hands into hers. He tried not to look too happy.

“Your fingers are slightly shorter than his, and your touch is very…gentle.” She stroked his hand and moved a step closer when she said this. The Vulcan watched Jonathan’s cheek turn the faintest of pinks.

“You’re blushing,” she said and let go of his hand. He laughed.

“No I’m not, it’s just…the water’s a little warm.”

From the expression on her face, T’Pol wasn’t buying into it. Her face didn’t give away the illogical pleasure she had gotten from making him turn colors, given how many times over the past week that the thought of him had made her do the same thing.

Jonathan quickly asked, “Do you want to move into some deeper water?”

“That would be logical.”

“Would you like to hold on to me? I know deep water isn’t comfortable to you right now.” He was more than ecstatic when she wrapped her arms around his neck before he had barely finished his last sentence. It was at that moment when T’Pol realized she hadn’t taken a nose-numbing agent in over four days and Jonathan’s scent no longer bothered her, even when being as close to his bare chest as she was.

They went out several feet before he let go of her. T’Pol swam a few inches before she remember exactly why she disliked deep water; there was no feeling of support or security under her. She began to feel uncomfortable quickly and moved her arms around frantically to keep herself afloat.

Soon, she felt Jonathan’s hands on her shoulders and her worry subsided slightly.

“Don’t panic,” he told her quietly in her ear. “That only makes it worse.”

“I wasn’t panicking,” she said. Her body was tingling at the closeness of Jonathan’s lips to her very sensitive ear tips. T’Pol felt her head tip slightly in his direction without her intent, then moved away when she realized what she was doing.

“All right,” Jonathan stated, “Let’s do the front stroke first.”

***

They did this for about an hour or so. T’Pol and Jonathan did a few laps, but whenever they were still, T’Pol found some reason to wrap her arms around him. Of course, Jonathan had no reason to refuse. The feel of one another was becoming very familiar to them both. But Jonathan reflected sadly that this would only last two more days.

 _Then back to work. Back to our old routine._ Enterprise _seems so far away, and feels like ages since this shore leave began. I wish it could never end._

“But all things must end,” T’Pol responded. Secretly, she had to agree with his sentiment.

As they made their way back to the shoreline, Jonathan asked her, “Why is it that you can still hear my thoughts, but I can’t hear yours?”

“My mind is more disciplined than yours, and you didn’t practice the technique I taught you last night,” she responded.

“Can you hear them all?”

“Just certain ones. It’s still very random.”

The first thing Jonathan did upon reaching the shore was check on Porthos, whose leash was tied to a wooden pole on a nearby building. In the short time they were away, his beagle had attracted the attention of many natives, for they had never seen a dog before. Currently, Porthos was receiving pats on the head from two little girls that were no more than five Earth years old.

Jonathan chuckled. “Well, hi there.”

The girls looked up and one of them asked in Jyoran if this creature belonged to them.

“Where’s the UT?” he asked T’Pol. She reached into her bag and pulled the device out.

“This will help our species to communicate more fluently,” she told the girl.

“Is this your creature?” the same girl asked.

Jonathan knelt down to the girl’s height. “Why, yes he is. This is a dog and his name’s Porthos.” He placed a hand on Porthos’s head.

“He’s pretty,” the other one replied. “I wish there were dogs here.”

“I’m sure you have lots of other types I pets that I’d want to have, too,” he said. Jonathan looked around then said, “You should go find your parents now.”

The girls nodded and gave Porthos a final pat on the head before running off. Jonathan stood back up and grabbed his bag to look for a towel.

“Kids seem to like dogs everywhere,” commented Jonathan. T’Pol looked down at Porthos and wondered if she would have wanted him at that age.

“Do Vulcans keep pets?”

“Some do. My parents never allowed me to have any as a child. I suggest we find a spot to dry off,” she told him.

“All right. Hey, how about there?”

Jonathan pointed to an area about two hundred meters away, where four boulders stood in their immediate view. There was a space on the side of one where one could walk around to get to the other side of the beach. T’Pol followed Jonathan to the area and they both peeked around the massive rocks.

On the other side was a geographical half-circle, the space between the boulders and the tiny cliff across from it being only twenty meters or so.

“There’s no one here,” T’Pol observed.

Jonathan loved the scene from the start and had already stepped in front of her and set his things down at the farthest point from the water.

“There may be a reason no one’s here.”

“It’s fine, T’Pol,” Jonathan said. He pulled out his towel and began to dry off his hair first. “I like it.”

_It reminds me of that dream last night._

“I kind of had the feeling I’ve seen this place before, too. Come on, have a seat. I hope you brought a towel to sit on.” She walked over to where he was and pulled her towel out.

There was indeed a reason no one was there. The name of the spot, translated from Jyoran, literally meant “Passion’s Cove.” It had earned the name, too, for it was a place where only young couples in love went for recreational activities and usually those activities took place long after sunset. It was the equivalent of Earth’s “Lover’s Lane.” Of course, both Jonathan and T’Pol were blissfully ignorant of this fact.

Jonathan watched as Porthos dug a hole in the sand and circled around in it three times before nestling himself in it. He had had plenty of excitement from all the curious Jyorans, many of which had taken the liberty of feeding him what they thought he might like.  He wasn’t paying attention when T’Pol had reached into her bag to pull out something she used on very rare occasions: a bottle of Karata oil.

Most females on Vulcan used it daily to keep their skin from drying in the hot desert climate. Upon leaving Vulcan for Earth, T’Pol had had little need for the product, save the occasion away mission to a planet with a hot climate. It was very hard to find outside of Vulcan.

The oil wasn’t just for aesthetic purposes; a Vulcan male would apply it on his mate’s back and shoulders shortly before his Ponn Farr cycle would begin to help her become more sexually aroused. She, in turn, would do the same thing for him when her time came.

Jonathan left the dog to his slumber and walked to where T’Pol was sitting with her oil. She was applying it to her arms as he sat down next to her.

“What’s that?” he asked.

T’Pol told him the purpose of the oil, leaving out the alternate use of being a pseudo-topical aphrodisiac.

Which was why Jonathan asked, “Do you need help putting that on your back?”

She hesitated to answer, but looked up at him. The water that remained on his abdomen accented his muscles _so_ much.

“Oh, I forgot, Vulcans don’t like to be touched. I’m sorry…I shouldn’t have…” Jonathan looked away, but soon felt the bottle being placed in his hands.

“We avoid causal touching,” she said, “and being touched by people we don’t trust.” T’Pol put a slight emphasis on the last word.

Jonathan chuckled as he poured a small amount into the palm of his hand. “You really think closely of me?”

“Yes.”

“Well…thank you.” Archer looked down at the bottle in his hands. “I think closely of you too.”

T’Pol lay down on her stomach on the towel. She placed her head on her folded arms and closed her eyes as she turned her face in Jonathan’s direction. 

“Don’t worry, it won’t take long,” he said. T’Pol’s eyes opened back up and grabbed his wrist.

“You shouldn’t rush it. Take as much time as you need.”

As Jonathan looked into her eyes, he felt T’Pol wasn’t being completely honest with him, but at the moment he didn’t care. If she wanted him to take his time, that’s what he’d do.

“Any place you’d like for me to start?”

“Start at my lower back. It’s the least sensitive part of my backside. Work your way up to the shoulders.” This was an easy task. The back opening of the swimsuit stopped about an inch above her bum.

Jonathan placed one oiled hand on her lower back and gently massaged the oil into her skin. T’Pol had not instructed him to apply it that way nor was she discouraging this practice. In fact, it was very …pleasurable. She let out a deep breath as his hands went up farther to the small of her back. The V-shaped design of the swimsuit allowed for more exposure of skin, thus more room for Jonathan to massage.

Jonathan felt himself becoming warm, but not from the sun. “You feel okay?”

“Yes,” she replied. Her voice sounded very sultry when she said that. There was more passion in that one word than he’d heard in her voice in the last two and a half years.

“You may apply the oil on my sides, if you wish,” T’Pol informed him, fairly certain he wouldn’t refuse.

“Um…” Had he hear that right? “That’s _inside_ the swimsuit.”

“I trust you know where to stop.”

_Wow…two years ago she couldn’t stand humans, now she’ll let me oil her sides._

He wasn’t going to say no. He was relishing in the fact that he, Jonathan Archer, was giving T’Pol a massage. He wouldn’t brag about it because she trusted him enough to let him do this in the first place. He was honored she thought that highly of him.

A full hour of exercise, along with Jonathan’s relaxing touch, allowed T’Pol’s mind to relax as well. Before she even realized it, she had fallen asleep.

***

“ _How does that feel?” Jonathan asked while rubbing his hands over the higher part of her back._

“ _It’s fine,” she replied, nearly breathless. Though their newly-heighten awareness for one another’s feelings, Jonathan knew she was holding back what she really wanted to say._

“ _It’s more than fine,” he told her. “ It’s wonderful. And this”—Jonathan began massage her shoulder blades—“would be blissful.”_

_T’Pol gasped at how well he was able to do that!! She began feeling very warm inside and her back tingled with pleasure. She knew better than to indulge into such emotions, but she couldn’t help it. T’Pol had been fighting for the last month—maybe longer—to suppress what she felt because she thought Jonathan could never feel that way towards her. But he did._

_His hands moved up to her shoulders and moved in towards her neck. The temptation to make passionate love to him increased as he placed his lips mere millimeters away from her neck. Didn’t he know that was one of the most sensitive parts of a Vulcan’s anatomy?_

“ _That’s what I was counting on,” he whispered before taking the tiniest little nip at her. “Gods, that felt good.”_

“ _It felt wonderful.”_

_Jonathan continued to leave a trail of butterfly kisses on the side of her neck. T’Pol felt her control leaving her and being replaced by a strong feeling of lust and desire. It grew more powerful each and every moment…_

_At last, she could no longer control her urges._

_She turned around and pushed Jonathan’s back into the warm sand. She gripped his shoulders and passionately kissed him, while rubbing her hands over his chest. Jonathan gave out a low groan as he rubbed her back wildly. This sudden aggressiveness in T’Pol excited him…did she want to…?_

“ _I want to,” she replied to his thought._

_Jonathan watched as T’Pol sat up and slipped the top half of the swimsuit off. The straps fell to her sides.  His eyes fell to observe the beauty of her body. He was shocked and pleased at the same time. He never thought they would ever become intimate, much less in an open place such as this._

“ _Are you sure you don’t want to wait?” he asked. He wanted this very much, but not at the expense of her comfort._

_T’Pol lowered her head to his._

“ _I’ve waited long enough,” she told him before wrapping her tongue around his. She ended this when she felt his hands on her bosom, caressing them in the same way he did her back—gently and slowly as though he never wanted this to end._

_She tugged down on his shorts, relieving a very hardened manhood and Jonathan removed the rest of her swimsuit. He placed her on her back and ran a hand through her hair, looking into her eyes all the while._

“ _I’ve wanted this for so long,” he whispered. “I can’t think when I’m around you.”_

“ _I feel the same way, Jonathan.” She placed one hand over his cheek and the other on his chest, feeling the hair that covered it. Her eyes never seemed more alive to him. T’Pol felt Jonathan’s anxiousness to proceed farther._

“ _I’m ready,” she said. Jonathan knew what she meant. He looked into her eyes and knew she wanted this._

“ _Hold on. This might feel uncomfortable for a second.”_

_Before T’Pol had a chance to respond she felt Jonathan enter her. She let out a moan of excitement and pleasure. It was the first time she’d ever done that, and she was glad Jonathan would be the only man to hear it. It was meant only for him._

***

Jonathan Archer had given many women a backrub in his time, but never had he felt his heart beating so rapidly after he was done like he did right now.

He looked at T’Pol’s sleeping form and watched her move about, turning from her stomach to her back to her stomach again, moving her legs almost into a spread eagle position. The site of it was making him hard and very, VERY horny. His guilt took over him, and he went to move her legs closer together. She gave out a low whimper.

“Oh, Jonathan…yes…” he hear T’Pol say. She had a very firm grip on the edge of the towel she was sleeping on.

Jonathan didn’t know whether to be amused, pleased or awkward. Right now, he felt a mixture of all three, but he mostly felt surprised. She was having a dream…about _him._ It must be a very pleasant dream if T’Pol was talking in her sleep. Jonathan began to feel curious about exactly _what_ they were doing together in it…

 _But no. I won’t use that link to find out. Her dreams should be hers,_ he told himself. Jonathan heard her whimper once more and she stopped moving around once she turned over on her back.

Jonathan got a sudden urge to just walk over to T’Pol and nibble on her neck. He edged back towards her to do just that. This feeling of desire came on so strongly and suddenly that it scared him. As soon as it came, the feeling left, leaving Jonathan a bit out of breath and ashamed of what he almost did.

 _What just happened here?_ He soon remembered that the mind link not only allowed the exchange of thoughts, but strong emotions, too. That feeling of desire was from _her!_ So she _did_ have feelings for him! No Vulcan—no human, Klingon, Andorian, or any other being in the universe—could have emotions that strong about someone and say it wasn’t love.  He knew—he had those same feelings. That still didn’t prevent him from feeling a little guilty about hearing… _that._

Luckily, Porthos had just woken up from his nap. Jonathan was glad to have a  distraction at that moment. He looked around at the beach until he found a stray stick lying on the ground, which he picked it up and threw it to Porthos. He caught the stick and began to run away.

“Hey, boy! Get back here!” Jonathan called after him, but to no avail. Porthos had never grasped the concept of fetching despite all of his master’s attempts to teach him. Today was not the day he would learn. But Porthos didn’t run far. Jonathan soon caught up to him and pulled the stick out of his mouth.

“Why don’t you fetch for me?” he asked. The beagle looked at Jonathan and licked his lips.

Archer accepted this fact and absently threw the stick out into the water. He turned his back and two seconds later heard a splashing sound. Porthos had jumped in after it. After getting a firm grip on the stick, he came back ashore and ran in T’Pol’s direction.

“Porthos! Leave her alone!”

But Porthos didn’t listen. He dropped the stick a foot away from T’Pol’s head and let out a loud bark, the kind he only reserved for begging. She opened her eyes up and turned around in his direction, giving a slight glance at the stick. Jonathan immediately ran over to get his dog..

“I’m so sorry,” he said. “He just…ran away, and I couldn’t catch him fast enough.” He grabbed Porthos and gave him a firm reprimand. “Bad dog!”

Porthos drooped his large ears and began to whimper sadly at his daddy, who regretted yelling at him immediately.

“There’s no need to scold him,” T’Pol stated. “I was about to wake up soon anyway.” she was rather thankful for the disturbance. If she was able to experience Jonathan’s dreams, it was only logical that he could experience hers.

“We’ve been out here a while. Maybe we should find some place to eat,” suggested Jonathan.

“Agreed.”

The two of them packed up their belonging and walked up the hill.

***

Jonathan soon found a cozy little building that overlooked the ocean. The size and color reminded him of a playhouse one of his boyhood friends once had. It was very inviting.

“It does attract one’s attention,” T’Pol answered.

Jonathan sighed.

“You’re still not comfortable with this.”

“No, I’m not, and I don’t think I ever will be…if it does last.” He failed to notice T’Pol’s eyes lower as she turned away from him. “Come on, let’s go.”

The place was fairly empty, save for one older man on the other side, a group of four consisting of one woman and three men (Archer remembered hearing something about women being allowed more than one husband on this planet and wondered if that was the case here), and a younger couple enjoying a bowl of some sort of fruit. They were feeding the pieces to one another.

A waiter came and showed them their seats, which were close to a window overlooking the spot they had just left. The man was as friendly as Lilana.

“Hello, you two. I hope you’ve been enjoying yourselves on our planet.”

Jonathan smiled and nodded. “I sure have.”

“And you?” he asked T’Pol.

“It’s a very relaxing place.”

“That’s good. Do either of you read Jyoran?” he pointed the UT that was placed on the table. “I saw another pair of…humans, is it? They had one of those so we can understand each other.”

“I’m afraid we can’t read your written language,” T’Pol said.

“You have very lovely ears,” the waiter said to her.

“There a result of evolution on my homeworld,” she told him and moved her eyes away.

“Wow, I sure am hungry,” Jonathan blurted out rather suddenly, “and since handing us a menu won’t help, could you give us some suggestions?”

The waiter smiled. “Of course, sir. What type of food dish are you interested in?”

“Um…”Jonathan thought about it, but realized he didn’t know much on the local cuisine. He hadn’t been able to finish a meal outside of the hotel since they got here. “Actually, T’Pol, you go first.”

She nodded. “I am aware that there are many vegetarian dishes that are native to Jyora.”

“Yes, there are. Would you like to try one? Some of them might be a bit spicy, I hope that’s okay.”

“Certainly.”

Jonathan asked, “Exactly how do you serve your dishes here? The ones with the meat?”

“Well, we have several varieties of shellfish over in that tank to your left”—he pointed across the room—“that you may pick out for us to cook. We also serve side of linba here.” He showed Jonathan a picture of the latter dish, which resembled a rack of lamb.

Jonathan looked over and saw that T’Pol was looking a bit uncomfortable with this discussion. Perhaps he had better lay off the meat for today.

“I think I’ll just have what T’Pol’s having,” he said.

“Ah, T’Pol? Is that what you name is?”

“That’s what my parents decided to call me,” she said flatly. She saw Jonathan giving the young Jyoran man the same look he gave to Commander Tucker last night.

“It’s a lovely name,” he said. Jonathan placed a hand on the man’s arm.

“We’re kind of busy. Could you bring us our order, please?”

He nodded. “Of course.” The waiter walked off, and T’Pol gave Jonathan a cool glare.

“May I ask what brought about that behavior?” she asked.

“What behavior?”

“With the waiter. He was merely being friendly.” The whole time that they were placing their order, T’Pol sensed the same tension as she had last night between him and Commander Tucker.

Jonathan looked out the window. “He was lollygagging. I want to eat.”

“ _I_ wasn’t in any rush,” T’Pol countered. He looked right at her. This sounded familiar to him.

“One can always mix business with pleasure, Jonathan,” she added. “You said that to me two nights ago, when I acted in a similar fashion. Of course, I was merely looking out for your well being.”

He laughed. “Are you telling me that I was jealous?”

“You don’t need me to tell you. I experienced your tension just as you were feeling it.”

“Then that means you _were_ jealous of Lilana!” he yelled out. “Come on! You acted the same way two nights ago! Come on, admit it.”

“I won’t admit to something that isn’t the truth.” T’Pol felt her heart racing once more. She looked elsewhere other than directly at Jonathan, who caught this quickly.

“You’re trying to hide!” She immediately focused her attention on him.

“Whenever you’re confronted by something that you know is the truth but you don’t want to accept, you look away from whomever it is you are talking to. Trip’s noticed that, too. I read my copy of Surak’s teachings you gave me. It’s says it’s best to confront your feelings, so you can deal with them.”

It was silent between them for several tense moments. T’Pol knew she had lost the argument, but what good did it do either of them to admit one another’s feelings when each of them knew there were many risks to explore them? Nevertheless, she figured out how to state what she felt that night.

“If you must know, I did feel an illogical sense of…loss…when you were becoming so friendly towards Lilora.”

“Lilana,” he corrected. “ But I’ll never see her again. You and I, we’re friends.”

“You should take your own advice,” T’Pol reminded him. “You are often envious about myself and Commander Tucker. I assure you that I am not interested in him romantically, nor is he interested in me. It seems he’s more interested in putting the two of us together.” She stopped before telling him all of what Mr. Tucker and she had discussed last night.

Archer nodded. “I guess you’re right. I’ll try to get a grip on my jealousy if… you will.” He couldn’t believe he just told a Vulcan to control their emotions.

“I’m always in control of my emotions, Jonathan,” she said flatly. Jonathan just smiled and nodded politely.

_But what about today when you were asleep? Were you in control of that, or was it because I was the last thing you remembered before falling asleep?_

The waiter brought back two plates of hard, purplish stalks of vegetable covered in a white sauce, as well as a bowl of the same fruit Jonathan had seen the younger couple eating when they arrived.

“Here you go, Jonathan,” the waiter said, much to Jonathan’s surprise.

“I don’t remember giving you my name,” he said.

“I know you didn’t. Perhaps you’ve met my sister, Lilana?”

T’Pol had sensed the young man looked familiar somehow, but she didn’t quite know from where. Now she did.

“Wow, she’s your sister? Well, it’s a small world, as we like to say to Earth.” Of all the coincidences of the universe. “Well, what is your name?”

“Lornis,” he told him.

“I am guessing your hospitality runs in your family,” T’Pol commented.

Lornis smiled. “Why, thank you. One thing before I leave.” He pointed to the fruit he had brought them. “It’s usually eaten with two people. They usually feed it to the other person. Hope you enjoy you meal.”

As Lornis walked off, Jonathan looked at T’Pol.

“Wanna try the fruit first?”

She responded by taking a nearby fork and placing a piece of the melon-type food on it. Slowly, T’Pol placed it into his open mouth, which he enjoyed that for more than one reason.

“That wasn’t bad,” he said lamely. “Your turn.” Jonathan did the same thing for her. T’Pol noticed some of the juice was on Jonathan’s lips and she wanted to lick it off for him. They were both enjoying this activity because it was shared with the one person in the universe that they cared the most about.

Ensigns Mayweather and Cutler walked in by the time the bowl was one-fourth full. They had been there the night before and had been given the same exact dish of fruit. Fortunately, they had been seated with an older Jyoran man that warned them about what message they were sending to the other by eating the fruit in that fashion. It was obvious that neither one of their commanding officers knew.

Elizabeth leaned over to Travis. “You think we should tell them or take a picture?”

Travis snickered.

“What?” she exclaimed. “Look at them, they seem like they don’t need a bowl of fruit to show that they’re in love. Well, that’s what Hoshi told me.”

Travis was used to Captains and First Officers being affectionate to one another. He lived on a boomer ship for most of his life. The Captain and First Officer were his parents. But he and everyone else knew what Archer thought about Vulcans.

“Come on, we should tell them,” he told her.

“All right,” she reluctantly agreed. “But can’t I take a picture first?”

Travis laughed as he shook his head and they walked over to where Archer and T’Pol were sitting. Cutler looked down at the bowl to find there were only two pieces left. Jonathan and T’Pol looked away from each to acknowledge the ensigns’ presence.

“Travis, Elizabeth. What brings you here?”

“Oh, the setting, the good food,” Elizabeth chimed, a bit too cheerfully. Travis showed more reserve and leaned down to Jonathan’s level.

“Um, Captain, we were here last night, and we were served the same dish. Elizabeth and I.” Jonathan nodded.

“You see, sir,” Elizabeth added, “one of the locals informed us that, um…that sort of dish is, um…reserved for romantic couples.”

There was a bit of an awkward silence as Jonathan and T’Pol faced each other quickly. They eyed one another momentarily, then placed their forks down.

Travis continued so as to dispel the tension. “We just wanted to tell you that so no more rumors could be started. We know you two aren’t…you know. But some others might get the wrong idea.”

“Good-bye, sir,” Cutler said, and the two ensigns began to leave.

Jonathan’s interest got peaked by the word “rumors”. “Wait a minute.”

Travis and Elizabeth stopped.

“What rumors have you two heard…about Sub-Commander T’Pol and myself?” Even T’Pol wanted to hear.

“Um…well, someone said that you and T’Pol spend a good deal of off time together.”

“There was an even sillier one about a time where you went to T’Pol’s quarters at 2300 hours and didn’t come out until 0400,” Travis added.

This was certainly news to him. Jonathan had been hearing a bunch a rumors over the last few months about a possible relationship with T’Pol, but they usually included Trip. Their neuropressure sessions opened the gates of rumor heaven on _Enterprise._

“Ensign Mayweather,” T’Pol asked, “What do the crew think about their commanding officers being in a relationship with one of their subordinates?”

Jonathan looked at her and was very surprised she’d asked such a thing. Nevertheless, he wanted to know all the same.

“Well, personally I don’t have a problem with it,” Travis replied. “I mean, when you live on a boomer ship, you may not run into other human beings for months at a time. It’s only natural that people will begin to pair off. You can’t help whom you fall in love with. Oh, but Vulcans don’t deal with mushy emotions like that.”

“Most Vulcans don’t,” she stated.

“Well, as a whole, the crew thinks you and T’Pol are a cute couple…sir,” Cutler quickly added as she saw him become exasperated.

“He’s not agitated with you, Miss Cutler. He has heard many people tell us that,” T’Pol explained.

“Well, we better go,” Cutler said. “Good-bye.” She began to walk off.

“Don’t take rumors seriously,” Travis said. “There was some rumor way back some time ago that Trip didn’t like women. Can you believe that? Although that doesn’t top the one about Hoshi having a crush on you…”

“Good-bye, Travis,” Archer said firmly. Travis took the hint and quickly walked off to rejoin Elizabeth. He shook his head. “Have you ever heard any of these rumors?”

“I’ve bee aware that several have been made about myself and Commander Tucker,” T’Pol stated, “but I doubt that Ensign Sato is romantically attracted to you. She is twenty years your junior.”

_Still, it is a flattering thought._

“How so?” she asked. They began to eat their main course.

“Well, some human males want to still be thought of as attractive when they get to be my age,” Jonathan replied.

“That’s hardly something you need to worry about, Jonathan.” T’Pol looked away from him after saying that, but it had given Jonathan a smile.

“You think I’m attractive,” he teased. T’Pol didn’t bite.

“I only said you shouldn’t worry about it. You’re in good health. If fact, older Vulcans are well respected and revered.”

T’Pol genuinely meant what she had said. There wasn’t any reason for Jonathan to concern himself as far as she could see. He was attractive for any age. Commander Tucker, she noted, was about ten years younger than Jonathan, but didn’t have such well-developed abdomen muscles…or strong arms that she wanted so much to be wrapped in…or green eyes so deep she could lose herself looking into them for so long. Jonathan was truly beautiful.

“Ah,” Jonathan exclaimed as soon as he finished his last bite. “Whatever we just ate, it sure was delicious. If this was the first vegetable I tasted, I doubt I would have fought my mom about dinner as a child.”

“It was quite flavorful,” T’Pol added absently. She then looked at the bowl with the fruit they had eaten. The last two pieces were still untouched. They looked at each other wondering what to do. Finally, Jonathan came up with a solution.

“We’ll give it to Porthos,” he said.

***

It was 1730 hours and the three of them were relaxing on the beach. T’Pol was sitting on her towel reading a book she had brought along with her. She paid no heed to Jonathan as he watched Porthos sniffing around on the sand.

His mind wasn’t focused on Porthos, though. Tomorrow was T’Pol’s birthday, but he didn’t have a clue what to get her for it. She wouldn’t get upset if he didn’t buy her anything—after all, birthdays, like most any other days humans considered important, weren’t cause for any celebration on Vulcan. But then again, they were far away from Vulcan.

As soon as Porthos began to wander a little too far, Jonathan got up and ran after him to get him. He only got a few feet before he felt something sharp poke the heel of his foot. He jumped back to see what it was, only to find something pink and shimmery poking out from beneath the sand.

 _That’s odd,_ he said to himself. _A seashell this far away from the shore?_

Jonathan knelt down to dig it out and couldn’t believe what he found. There, in his hand, was a shell that looked like a rose! The shell was only an inch wide, but it resembled the flower perfectly!

Porthos came back with a stick in his mouth and quickly dropped it as he noticed what Jonathan was holding in his hand.

“Look, boy,” he whispered. “See that pretty color? Oh, I forgot, you can’t see color.” Jonathan flipped the shell over to observe the backside and discovered a natural opening in its center. It would be perfect to place a stick into it and call it a stem…what about the one Porthos had brought? He took it and was able to squeeze the stick in perfectly.

“It’s really beautiful,” he said to Porthos, who was pawing up Jonathan’s side.

He looked over at T’Pol then back at the rose. “You think we should give it to her?” he asked. “Yeah, let’s do that tomorrow.”

With that, Jonathan crept over to his bag and placed it in there without her noticing.

***

Finally, they had to leave the beach. They had to leave fairly early because they didn’t want to get lost this far away from the town. Luckily, the fear didn’t become reality; they reached the outskirts of the village just as the sun was beginning to set.

“It’s beautiful,” he said dreamily.

“What is?”

“The sun set. Look at it.”

They were standing at the peak of a hill that overlooked the village and were able to fully capture the beauty of twilight. Off to the side of the road they were traveling on a boulder sat with one side that looked scooped out into a seat. Jonathan took Porthos, wrapped his leash around a nearby tree and seated himself into it. T’Pol, however, did not move.

“There’s room for one more,” he called.

She looked straight ahead at the town. “I find it wasteful to watch the planet move away from its star. It happens daily.”

Jonathan sighed. Damn, she could really kill a mood.

“I can always order you to sit here and watch it.”

“You don’t plan on following through with that order, “ T’Pol stated matter-of-factly. “I gleamed as much from your mind.”

“Damn,” he said, but still persisted. “Well, can you just humor me and come watch?”

“And what if I choose to walk down that hill and go back to our room alone?” She had every intention of humoring Jonathan’s fancy, but was intent upon baiting him.

“You won’t get in. The key’s in _my_ pocket.”

Jonathan moved over to let T’Pol have a bit more space, but he could have sworn she was trying to get as close to him as possible without breaking any Starfleet regs. He didn’t mind if she was.

“You may think this happens every day, but not for us,” Jonathan said. “We go weeks and months without being on land. In fact I haven’t watch a sunset in four years.”

“I’ve never consciously watched a sunset until tonight,” T’Pol told him.

The two of them didn’t notice a middle-aged Jyoran couple that had walked up the hill. They were off to a friend’s party, but seeing those two aliens sitting in a spot where they had once sat during their courtship brought up a few memories.

“Ah, Sorala,” the man said in Jyoran, “I remember the first time we sat together on that rock.”

“I remember the time you saw our Fiori there with her first husband,” his wife commented.

“I guess that spot is universal for romance, isn’t it? They certainly seem like they’re in love.” His eye focused on the alien female. “I can see why _he_ would be attracted to her. Why, if I were a young man…”

“You’d what?” she cut him off to ask. She gave him a stern look.

“Oh…” he struggled to say. “I’d, um…be a young man, that’s all.”

“Hmm…” The woman began to walk off and her husband soon followed.

Of course, Jonathan and T’Pol had not seen the couple there, nor would they have understood a word they had said. It grew cold quickly as it grew darker, and neither one of them had brought a jacket. T’Pol began to rub her arms.

“You okay?” asked Jonathan.

“It’s just the increasing wind.” She looked him over, her eyes asking where his jacket was.

“I’m sorry. I didn’t bring my jacket.” All Jonathan himself was wearing was a t-shirt, and a white one at that.

“Perhaps we should move in closer to one another.” She blinked when she said this.

Jonathan didn’t hesitate to bring his arms around her shoulders. “You mean like this?” His nose was about six inches away from hers.

“Yes.” Then she leaned her head upon his chest, right beneath his chin. His heart skipped a number of beats. “And this would be a more …efficient use of body heat.”

Jonathan gave her a tiny squeeze as he let his head lie on top of hers. He closed his eyes as her lemony, spicy scent hit his nose. But all this closeness…would his smell bother her?

“I barely notice it now, since we’ve spent nearly five days together,” she answered.

T’Pol didn’t refer to it as a smell, but rather as a scent. A scent allowed most animals to distinguish their mates from other animals of the same species.

But Jonathan wasn’t the same species as she. Perhaps that was why she loved him.

They held one another, enjoying each other’s company more than the sunset itself, until the sun had fully set and it was too cold to sit outside any longer. When Jonathan got up to stretch and felt a very dull ache in his shoulder blade—the same one he had injured many years ago in water polo. T’Pol went over to rub it.

“Ah…thanks,” he said. She sure did have a gentle touch.

“I’m glad to help,” T’Pol commented, “but that is only a temporary treatment until we get back to our room.”

Jonathan shrugged and shook his hand. “There’s no need to call Phlox. It comes and goes.”

“You told me that last night.” In the same breath, T’Pol added, “I would like to try my neuropressure technique on your back, as I suggested to you last night.”

Yesterday, he had told her no because he felt it might have been too intimate.

“Your case isn’t that bad. I would be able to avoid using some of the more…intimate positions.” When T’Pol had spoken to Commander Tucker about neuropressure, she always referred to the poses as “postures” instead of “positions.” Her wording had paid off as she felt Jonathan cheer up a little bit and reluctance fade.

“Well, I _guess_ we could…try it for a little bit,” he stammered in excitement that he tried to hold back. At least she knew one of them would try and use some restraint tonight.

As they walked down the hill towards their room, T’Pol felt an emotion she had never experienced before—excitement. She had wanted to know what Jonathan had felt like for so long. It was unfair that Jonathan was unaware of her intent behind her insistence to be of assistance. She didn’t know Jonathan felt a bit guilty for accepting her offer out of his own pleasure when T’Pol seemed worried about him.

 _I’ll have to see where it goes,_ they each thought separately.

 


	14. At Last

Jonathan didn’t know what to expect from this neuropressure. He’d heard Trip comment about how it relaxed him and he was able to sleep like a baby. He’d also told him it was a technique reserved for couples because it was that intimate. That, added to the fact that Vulcans were touch telepaths, made him uneasy knowing that T’Pol could very easily hear his thoughts.

“I’ll try not to listen in to your thoughts,” she said.

“Thank you,” he said. “This whole thing is a little too much.”

She blinked slowly, and her mouth hardened.

“Are you okay?” he asked as they entered the room. He shut the door quickly.

T’Pol looked up at him. “I’m fine.”

Jonathan looked around the room. “Any particular place you want to do this?”

“The bed is large enough to hold us both and it should also be more comfortable than the sofa you’ve been sleeping on. But first,” she told him, “we need to remove this shirt.”

Just as Jonathan was about to take his shirt off, T’Pol walked over and placed the front hem between her thumb and index finger and lifted it off his torso, rubbing her hands along his abs and hard, solid chest. He bowed slightly so T’Pol, who was considerably shorter than he was, could pull it off of him easily. She took it and dropped it down on the floor, her eyes studying him.

“You enjoyed that,” he told her. It wasn’t a question.

“I was merely doing you a favor,” T’Pol said.

“I felt your enjoyment.”

They were silent for three seconds as T’Pol began to look for the bag with her clothing in it. Perhaps she _couldn’t_ block her thoughts as well as she thought. Or maybe the thought was stronger than she wanted to acknowledge. Once she found her nightwear, she went into the bathroom to change.

Jonathan sat on the edge of the bed, waiting for her to come out. He knew he enjoyed it when T’Pol had run her hands over his body like that. And he was glad she found him attractive.

 _But it just_ can’t _happen. At least not now, not when we still have responsibilities._

He had put so much on the back burner for his career. His constant traveling made a steady relationship impossible, let alone a family and children. Now that he was realizing that his feelings for T’Pol were more than just a fleeting lust, Jonathan was beginning to question whether it was really worth it anymore. Jonathan had completed the mission his father began; he got his father’s engine to fly. Now, what else was left?

 _Technically, T’Pol_ is _a civilian_ , he tried to justify to his troubled moral compass, _And there isn’t a damn thing Starfleet could do about marrying a civilian._ Even if she wasn’t, there were no regulations forbidding a captain from being involved with one of his crew…but it certainly wasn’t encouraged by any means.

 _Damnit! What am I thinking?! She didn’t give up a whole career to be a civilian. T’Pol would have gone back home if she wanted to. But she stayed for us…for_ Enterprise.

Disheartened, Jonathan lay on the bed and sighed. He loved T’Pol—yes, loved her! —but he knew she would never engage in a relationship with her captain, no matter how strongly she felt about him.

T’Pol had finished changing and walked out of the bathroom. She had on those turquoise pajamas he liked so much. The top exposed her belly button and a good part of her midriff. Her shorts were indeed VERY short. Not that he minded or anything. Jonathan rubbed his neck slightly, feeling a little warm. He watched her reach into her belongings and pull out a few candles.

“What are those for?” Jonathan asked.

T’Pol proceeded to place one on the nightstand and the rest on the coffee table. “This is to help you relax. The lighting in this room leaves much to be desired in that respect.”

T’Pol had never placed candles out in any of her sessions with Commander Tucker, nor had she ever even considered doing such a thing for him. She hoped the low lighting provided from the candles would allow for a more intimate feel between the both of them. Additionally, she pulled back the blinds to the glass doors slightly to provide a bit of moonlight in before seating herself next to him on the edge of the bed.

“There are one of two ways I could address your back,” T’Pol began to explain. “The first requires that you lie on your stomach so that I may reach the afflicted area.”

“And the other way?”

T’Pol hesitated for a moment, then began to speak again.

“It would be best if I showed you.” She moved further on the bed, balancing her body on her knees. Jonathan did the same.  Then T’Pol moved over to him and wrapped her arms around his broad shoulders, pressing her body against his. She placed her chin next to his neck. She straddled herself on Jonathan’s lap to better balance herself.

“ _This_ is the second option.”

Jonathan was very stunned, but nonetheless pleased. His fingers itched to touch her back once more, but instead he left them on her shoulders to sturdy himself. He struggled to speak.

“I...um…if you feel more, er, comfortable this way, then, um…sure.” He just hoped he wouldn’t get hard.

_Oh, please, let that not happen._

“Don’t be surprised if you get aroused, Jonathan. After all, this is a very intimate procedure.”

“Did you hear me thinking?!”

“No.” She wasn’t lying. Jonathan’s eyes grew shifty. “I shall continue, now.”

He soon felt her hands kneading into his back, but the true comfort to Jonathan was having her next to him like this. Oh, there was so much more he wanted to do with her! Why did he allow himself to be teased like this?!

“Jonathan?” she asked quietly.

“Yeah?”

“I would like to call upon that favor.”

“What favor?” he asked, a bit confused.

“Do you remember two years ago, when _Enterprise_ was taken over by the alien marauders?” Jonathan let out an “ah” in response. He knew what she was talking about.

“I’ll be more than glad to—oooh, that felt nice.”

T’Pol had struck an extremely pleasant nerve on his spine near the base of his neck.  She pulled her head off from his shoulder to face him. Her eyes were shining.

“I would like for you to perform the neuropressure on myself.” She saw Jonathan’s face grow nervous, but yet she felt he was somewhat delighted.

“I wouldn’t know what to do!” he exclaimed, grinning like a Cheshire cat. “Doesn’t it take years to learn?”

“It’s a highly disciplined art, but not particularly time consuming. Commander Tucker has learned to perform some basic techniques.”

Archer’s bushy brow furrowed at the mention of Trip.

“Jonathan,” T’Pol said sharply, sensing his envy. “Yes, Mr. Tucker has performed neuropressure on myself.”

“T’Pol,” he said equally sharp, “I though you said you weren’t going to read my thoughts.”

“I didn’t.”

“Well, you were dead on to what I was thinking.”

“Please calm yourself, or else the neuropressure will be useless. Breathe.” T’Pol gave him a very serious look. Jonathan took two deep breaths.

Jealousy was one of the human emotions T’Pol had yet to understand. It was especially difficult for her to understand why Jonathan would feel envy for Commander Tucker, his friend who had insisted on many occasions that he wasn’t interested in her romantically and had made a significant effort to pair the two of them up.

After Jonathan had calmed down, T’Pol proceeded to instruct him.  She placed a hand on either bicep.

“This is one of the more basic positions,” she told him. “It’s not difficult. Just do what I do.”

She started by merely rubbing her hands along his biceps, moving from his elbows to his shoulders and back down again. The soft feel of her slender, skilled hands caused Jonathan to close his eyes as he did the same for T’Pol.

“Now, I’m going to apply a bit more pressure,” she said. “Do not over squeeze when you try this.”

Jonathan gently applied pressure to her arms. His touches were very light , yet strong at the same time.

_This time it is much more pleasurable._

“I guess Trip wasn’t so good, was he?” Jonathan had intended that pun, but T’Pol didn’t bite.

“He has improved with several months’ worth of practice. Move your hands up to my shoulders, like so.”  In one motion, T’Pol moved her hands up from his arms to his shoulders, as did Jonathan, who immediately noticed that the silky material of her shirt made it difficult for him to grab. T’Pol helped him but removing a hand off Jonathan’s shoulder and unbuttoning her top just enough so the shirt could be pushed aside comfortably off her shoulders, exposing her bosom but covered her nipples. Jonathan couldn’t help but drop his eyes.

 _Oh, great! And here I was trying_ not _to look!_

“I’ve always been curious why my breasts fascinate the crew so much,” T’Pol said bluntly. When Jonathan looked up at her face, he didn’t read anything. For some reason it surprised him—the poker face, that is. How she could ask such an awkward question without flinching was beyond him. Jonathan was sure Vulcans didn’t discuss such intimate issues like that openly with others.

“I’m sorry…did you just…?” Her question hadn’t distracted him from their neuropressure. He placed his hands barely under the collar of the shirt and they continued.

“I was merely wondering why that is,” she said. “Back in ancient times, Vulcan men thought the nape of a female’s neck to be more…sexually arousing.”

Jonathan’s eyes had quickly dropped back down to her open top. He really wished she’d say something about it, like a human woman would.

“You may not have noticed, T’Pol, but most human women don’t have your...um…you know… _proportions_.” Jonathan looked away as he said this.

“And many Vulcan males don’t have yours,” she quipped.

_How would she know that?_

“Three days ago, when you had just stepped out the shower,” she answered. “You were standing right in the middle of the floor nude when I walked in.”

“Ah,” Jonathan said, then added, “Still…how would you…I didn’t think…”

“It was rather hard to miss,” She replied casually.

All this talk about intimate parts of human and Vulcan anatomy was beginning to become a bit awkward to Jonathan. He didn’t particularly like discussing those sorts of matters with humans, let alone a Vulcan female, and one he thought about more that he wanted to at that. He took his hands off her shoulders and moved away a few inches.

“You know… this position’s not very comfortable for me.”

T’Pol felt Jonathan restraining himself from focusing on her unbuttoned shirt and quickly realized why he was uncomfortable. She turned her side to him and closed her top up. Given the way she knew Jonathan felt about her, she thought he would have wanted to continue a little longer.

“It’s all the more reason I’d like to…get out of that position,” he answered, not truly knowing what she had meant. “You’re my friend and my first officer. That’s just not appropriate.”

“Vulcans have a different code of what is appropriate behavior.”

“I know that!” Jonathan growled, “But damnit, I have to stick to my own code now!”

He moved his injured arm just to test it. He felt absolutely nothing. It was just as well, for he was about to end this before he said or did anything he might regret in the morning.

“My arm feels great, so I guess we don’t have to continue any further.” T’Pol watched as Jonathan grabbed for his shirt. “Thank you for all your help.”

He walked several paces to the sofa, where he stood and put on his shirt rather hastily. Well, he’d never do that again. Jonathan had obliged T’Pol mostly because he was curious as to what went on between her and Trip three times a week and now he did. His heart began to burn in envy.

“Does Trip still need these sessions?” he asked angrily. “It’s been six months, if I’m not mistaken.”

“You’re not. I intend to assess Commander Tucker’s condition once we return to the ship.” T’Pol knew he no longer required her services. If Commander Tucker had any problems sleeping still, he would have told her by now. “Why do our sessions continue to bother you?”

Fully clothed, Jonathan whipped around to face her.

“Who says they’re bothering me? If Trip can’t sleep any other way, then you two can just go on and continue to rub on one another.”

He really hated that he knew. At least before tonight he could always tell himself there it couldn’t be _that_ intimate. All this pent up jealousy and sexual tension left him very sarcastic.

At first, Jonathan’s envy of Commander Tucker was a bit curious to T’Pol. Right now, she was as furious as a Vulcan would allow oneself to be and understandably frustrated at Jonathan’s behavior. What would it take to convince him this line of thinking was irrational?

“Perhaps ending these neuropressure sessions would help!”

T’Pol walked to the sofa and stood right in front of him. Enough was enough. If she were to properly accuse Jonathan of hiding his emotions, she should be willing to tell him what she felt. Commander Tucker and Jonathan had a long and trusting friendship and she didn’t want to be the reason for it to end.

“Jonathan…” she began, “I do have feelings for Commander Tucker, but only as a close friend and nothing else. I care much more deeply about you than I ever will about him.” T’Pol placed one hand on his shoulder and left it there. His eyes fell to her hand and back to her face.

For the first time since he had known her, Jonathan saw something in her eyes that he never noticed before. She was looking at him, calling out to him with them. It was when she blinked again that he knew for certain what it was she was saying. Only a few seconds—no more than five or six—had passed since T’Pol spoke those life-changing words, but it felt to Jonathan that time had stopped. He felt his heart pounding against his chest, and prayed he wasn’t dreaming.

“You’re saying that you’re in love with me,” a stunned Jonathan replied slowly. He wasn’t sure why he was so surprised by the fact. He had known she had been in his dream last night by her own free will and had shared her feelings then…but to hear her admit it was a completely different matter.

T’Pol didn’t say anything, but waited for Jonathan to vocally return her feelings. _There’s no use hiding any longer, Jonathan._

He sighed. “You’re right. I am attracted to you. No, it’s much deeper than that…I’m in love with you.”

Jonathan had to let out a chuckle at this. Here he was, proclaiming his love to a woman he once hated and a Vulcan, no less. He could imagine the look on Soval and Admiral Forrest’s faces if they ever found out.

“I find it hard to believe that I…” T’Pol did finish that sentence. She couldn’t possibly love something or someone…she needed another word. Jonathan felt what she wished to say, so he was hardly disappointed.

“I never gave you much of a reason to care for me, or even to be a friend to me,” said Jonathan wistfully.

T’Pol slipped her hand into his much larger one. They had locked hands once before and were embarrassed about it. This time, neither one wanted it to end. It felt right. It _was_ right.

“When I first met you, I thought you were too foolish and too reckless to command a starship. However, I’ve since learned why this mission was so important to you. You wished to complete the work your father did not live to see.”

Jonathan lowered his head. “I wished it was just about my father. You were right. I _was_ too proud. If I had been a good captain, I would have waited until _Enterprise_ was fully functional before it left Earth. Instead, my heart was so full of bitterness and hate that I couldn’t see straight. I couldn’t see…anything.”

“That was a long time ago,” she said, “and many things have happened since we left Earth.”

“I know…but why me? I’ve acted so selfish and stubborn in the past. How could you come to feel this way about _me_?” Jonathan found this to be a very valid question. In his mind, she owed him nothing. The look in her eyes said otherwise.

“You can be stubborn sometimes…but that stems from your morals. Your determination is not fueled by self interest.” She thought back quickly to when he had found out she could lose her career over her Pa’Nar syndrome and the lengths he went to make sure that didn’t happen. “Jonathan, I didn’t think highly of humans until I met you.”

He looked back into her hazel eyes and the barriers between human and Vulcan began to fade—but not entirely. T’Pol let go of his hand and walked to the glass door. She was beginning to feel the same emotions she had been experiencing over the last four weeks—passion, desire, love—but this time, they were stronger. It wasn’t a dream, but very real, like the hands Jonathan placed behind her on her shoulders.

“You’re a little scared to let go of your emotions.”

“We both know what happens when Vulcans let their emotions run wild,” T’Pol retorted quietly. “I don’t intend on letting that happen.”

“I wouldn’t blame you if that did happen,” assured Jonathan. He squeezed her shoulder gently.

“We serve together on the same starship as the two senior-most officers.”

That hit Jonathan like a bucket of cold water, but he was not discouraged. “I don’t intend on serving in Starfleet forever. I thought I could go back to the way things were between us after this week was over, but I realized something.” He turned T’Pol around to face him. “I can’t.”

“We must. It’s for the good of the crew.” Even as she said this, T’Pol was wondering if she would follow her own advice.

He moved his hand off her.

“I’ve been thinking about how I’ve made sacrifices in my life for this mission,” he told her and began to pace along the floor. “I know I have to look out for the crew, but damnit! I want to do something for me, something that I want, without thinking about it! I want someone to look out for me for once! Is it too much to ask that _I_ can have one bit of joy in my life?”

Feeling the frustration and angst in his voice as well as through their link, T’Pol grabbed him by the arm, her eyes filled with longing.  She understood exactly how he felt.

“If there’s anyone that deserves a bit of happiness in life, Jonathan, it’s you. And I will always look out for you…for anything,” she added, emphasizing the last word. Her eyes were dancing, wondering what Jonathan was about to do next.

He moved his face closer to hers, and T’Pol’s desire for him increased. She tried immediately by impulse to control that urge, but to no avail. Her lower lip trembled as she felt his lingering breath intermingled with her own. When Jonathan stopped moving, his lips were millimeters away from her wanting mouth. She really wanted him—T’Pol had grown weary from the dreams and imaginings of herself and Jonathan in positions like this. She yearned to explore Jonathan’s body and for him to do the same with hers.

“I want you,” he whispered. “I feel passion right now, but I know it’s not all mine. You’ve wanted this for a very long time, haven’t you?”

“Yes,” T’Pol replied equally softly. Denying it would be futile, but acknowledging this only made her desire for Jonathan even stronger. “We shouldn’t do this…” Their foreheads were now in contact intensifying their feelings and desires for each other—and their love as well.

“That only makes me want it more,” he said.

Before T’Pol knew it, his lips were on hers. The feelings she had experienced before were even stronger now as she was flooded with them! Her first thought was how to push him away from her. She put her hands on his shoulders to do so, and stopped what she was doing as she felt his tongue slowly caressing around hers. T’Pol’s legs nearly gave out as she pressed into Jonathan body a little more, returning his passionate gesture until they parted just far enough to catch their breath.

“Wow…that was…” Jonathan stammered as he tried to put into words what he felt, but found he couldn’t.

“Agreed.”

The two of them kissed two more times with increasing passion, each time slightly longer than the next. T’Pol found her mind slowly numbing, giving way to her most primal desires; the ones that nearly every being in the vast universe has experienced or will experience someday.

Jonathan loved the feel of her lips on his. It was sweeter than any honey he’d ever tasted and more impassioned than he ever imagined.  The fervor T’Pol displayed was one of the biggest surprises of his life, but one he wouldn’t change for the world. He felt her hands move up to his face and through his hair as his moved from the tiny waist and under her shirt to feel her soft orbs. She made no complaint; in fact, her tongue delved farther along growing more bold by the moment.

T’Pol had never let anyone touch her the way Jonathan just did, and the immense pleasure provoked by his touch overwhelmed her. And she thought he had skilled hands when he massaged her back earlier that day!! The burning need between her legs intensified as he continued to cup her breasts into his large hands, feeling her nipples grow hard by running his thumbs over them. Words failed to describe how blissful she was.

“Jonathan…” she cried out as he began to nibble on her ear.

 _Feels great, doesn’t it?_ he asked her.

_Oh, yes…but I think we should lie down to continue this._

At which point Jonathan pulled away, feeling a bit scared at the moment.

Basically, T’Pol had told him she wanted to have sex with him. Perfectly acceptable if she were a human woman, but it was nothing less than unheard of from a Vulcan. But on the other hand, why would she allow this foreplay if she didn’t want to go any farther?

She reeled him back in by the collar of his shirt. “I’ve wanted this for a long time.” She looked very intent on what she wanted.

“Well, wait a minute!” This was certainly a far cry from the T’Pol he was used to. “What about your logic? Your culture and beliefs? I don’t want you to regret this tomorrow morning. I care too much about you.”

T’Pol, for the moment, was beyond her usual brand of logic.

“We both want to…explore one another, and we are both on vacation. Therefore, it’s logical that we continue. You did want me to enjoy myself on this shore leave, correct?”

Jonathan grinned wickedly. “Well, I did say th—mmhpf!”

T’Pol pulled Jonathan in for another searing kiss cutting him off and the sensation clouded Jonathan’s better judgment completely. He really did want to be with her, especially since he knew she felt the same way. He undeniably knew what everyone had been telling them both since this shore leave began—they belonged together.

T’Pol’s hands were on his chest, but she could not roam as freely on it as she would like to. He was still wearing his shirt, and the only way of getting it off was to lift it over his head. To do so would ruin the momentum for only a second or two, but said seconds seemed like moments T’Pol didn’t want to waste. She wanted to explore every inch of his body and she wanted him now!! With a slight—but very un-Vulcan like—growl, T’Pol got a firm grip of the collar of his T-shirt and ripped it off him!

Jonathan, who was also caught up in the moment, didn’t seem to notice and slipped the destroyed garment from his arms, leaving it unheeded until morning. He also experienced the moment of primal instinct as he went to open her top, starting with the button nearest to her naval, feeling the need to touch her more intimately growing in earnest. When he got to the third of four buttons, his fingers, moist with anticipation, could not grip onto it. T’Pol began to grow impatient.

“Hurry,” she uttered seductively.

“Ah, hell.” Jonathan gave up on trying to keep the shirt intact. With one quick, strong tug he pulled the garment completely open, pulling off the remaining two buttons with it, which rolled across the floor and into the carpeting. He took a moment to admire the beauty of her topless form after slipping the top off her shoulders…it was exquisite.

All the while, she wanted him to look. Had this been any other male…but it wasn’t. It was him, Jonathan Archer, who was here beside her as she stood in the most private of positions. When she looked into his eyes, she saw love and passion and trust and knew instantly her fear was unnecessary.

He placed a hand on either shoulder and slid his arms completely around her as he fell to his knees, burying his head between her breasts.  He held her tightly trying to communicate all the love and passion that she deserved. Then, just out of curiosity, he moved down to her belly button and gave it a quick nibble to see how she’d react. Much to his surprise, Jonathan heard her mentally restrain a giggle—so she was ticklish there!

Nevertheless, T’Pol was stunned by the reverence of his former gesture. In that moment, she freed herself from the mental restraints she had kept upon herself for so long and allowed her mind and heart to fully feel the intense heat of Jonathan making beautiful love to her.

Jonathan swept T’Pol into his arms and carried her to the bed. He felt his need for her growing—quite literally—and he wasn’t sure how much longer he could hold out. Then he clambered next to her to caress and nip playfully at her neck.

“You know, this _is_ better lying down,” he whispered as he left a trail of kisses down her torso. He stopped for a moment to lick around one of her nipples, causing T’Pol to whimper in ecstasy. She arched her back slightly as a wave of tingles went through her.  She loved the way Jonathan was teasing her, but she didn’t think she could _bear_ this blissful torture anymore.

 _I know how you feel, T’Pol,_ He said to her, _but I want you to be absolutely ready for this. It can be overwhelming, and I don’t want you hurt. Besides, the more foreplay, the better that moment will actually be._

At the moment, Jonathan had the rim of her shorts in his teeth and had every intension of pulling them off of her with them. The task got a bit daunting to do, so he allowed his hands to do some of the work of pulling them off. He threw them carelessly on the floor behind him.

“You’re beautiful,” he said quietly to her while still in awe at what she was letting him do, and what they were about to do next. Jonathan was amazed at how gorgeous she was.

T’Pol sat up and pulled Jonathan down into the bed on top of her smaller frame. She assisted him in pulling off the last two articles of clothing that separated their two bodies, his pants and his boxers, to reveal a very long and hard little Archer. To be fair, it wasn’t very little.

She took one look at his size and for one fleeting moment thought about ending this. But as Jonathan lowered her head back onto the pillow, T’Pol felt certain that she wanted to do this with him.  Placing a delicate hand on his face, she told him:

“I need you now, Jonathan. Don’t make me wait longer that I already have. I’m ready.” The sincerity in her eyes were all too real.

Archer nodded. “ Should I go fast or slow?”

T’Pol arched an eyebrow, not fully understanding.

“You know…so that it doesn’t hurt too much.”

She thought about that and told him she’d rather go slowly. With a slow but even motion, their two bodies became one. T’Pol was filled beyond measure, in spite of the discomfort which faded as Jonathan moved a little bit more. It gave way to the blissful delight that only one act in the universe could bring.

They thought about nothing else but making each other feel as wonderful as they did. Starfleet and High Council be damned. Every part of their being worked together to heighten their mutual enjoyment—her hands worked their way down his muscular back while his did the same on her chest. Jonathan nibbled on her neck as he pressed into her deeper, more fully, letting her cries of love edged him on. The sound of her pleasure was something he never thought he’d hear from a Vulcan.

_This is wonderful, T’Pol._

_I know, Jonathan._ T’Pol then moaned out his name as he buried himself farther into her.

He couldn’t believe he heard that! T’Pol was normally so dignified and reserved, but now she was a passionate, sensual, aggressive being…he knew then and there she was the only woman for him, and the last woman he’d ever make love to.

As a scientist, T’Pol knew what was to occur at the end of sexual intercourse; yet no amount of textbooks could have prepared her for the feelings she’d experienced from it. First, a slight tingle went down her spine, making her feel hotter than she already was. Then her heart began to beat faster in anticipation of her desire being quenched. Before she had a chance to realize what was going on, the pleasure she had experienced began to feel stronger and more desirable, welling up from deep inside. Suddenly, she realized that this desire was growing much too fast. It began to overpower her senses and T’Pol sensed her control was slipping away from her…she couldn’t let that happen for anything or anyone, including Jonathan…

_No…I can’t…lose…my control…_

_I won’t let that happen,_ Jonathan told her. _It’s okay. Relax, and everything will be fine. I promise._

T’Pol did as Jonathan suggested and let herself relax, accepting his reassurance. But still, the fever of passion rose higher and higher, making her feel as warm as she had that two long nights ago, and for one fleeing moment, T’Pol thought she might become so over heated and consumed by desire she might die from it. Vulcans had been known to die while mating in Ponn Farr…

The sensations continued to grow until T’Pol could no longer take it and she felt the beautiful release of orgasm. She threw back her head and called out—or rather, screamed out—Jonathan’s name as she rode the wave of her release for fourteen seconds—fourteen seconds she would remember and cherish forever.

Seconds later, Jonathan, too, found his release. It was beyond words to describe how he felt. He hadn’t been with another person in nearly three years, but to break that dry spell with her was nothing short of incredible to him. He came quite fiercely, however, to the point of being almost painful. As he was coming, he had his mouth on T’Pol’s neck. Unfortunately his entire body was seized by pain and pleasure all at one and he bit into her. She let out a very short peep as an exhausted Jonathan collapsed onto her slight form.

“That was…wow…” Jonathan struggled to say. About a minute or so passed before either spoke again, their relationship having been forever changed. Finally Jonathan pushed himself off T’Pol and cupped her chin with his hand. She opened her eyes and a tear fell out of one of them. Jonathan was worried.

“Oh, did I hurt you?” He took notice of the bite mark on her neck. “I really didn’t mean to do that…please don’t cry. I don’t want to see you upset.”

“I’m not upset,” she said softly, “just very…unnerved. I would gladly relive this experience again, if given the chance.”

Running a hand through her hair, Jonathan kissed her forehead. “If I have a say in it you’d have many more chances to relive it.” Then he looked lovingly into her eyes. “I love you, T’Pol.”

Her eyes widened and her heart began to beat wildly. Yet she did not reciprocate.

“You don’t have to tell me…if you can’t. I understand…and I know you do.”

Having spent a bit more energy, Jonathan rolled over on his back and pulled T’Pol closer to him to keep her warm. She didn’t pull back from him; in fact, she snuggled as close to him as physically possible, wrapping her arms around his neck and laying almost completely on top of him. He placed his arms around her back, noting how small her frame was and yet she could easily overpower him if she chose to.

Right now, T’Pol wished not to overpower anything save her emotions. Her experience with Jonathan had ignited many pleasurable feelings as well as some that were not so pleasurable—fear, vulnerability, worry. Despite that, she still wanted him—she wanted to _be_ with him!! Her heart still raced at the thought of their intimacy and it would continue to do so for the rest of T’Pol’s long life.

She wanted to feel calm again, to feel peaceful. Meditation was the logical and most obvious choice to achieve such a state, but tonight, she didn’t feel that would help. Holding on to Jonathan would—being near her _aisha_.

The two of them were vocally silent, exchanging thoughts mentally. Their intimate act had allowed for their mind link to become stronger and more focused; therefore, Jonathan could hear more of T’Pol’s thoughts.

 _What was it like for you?_ he asked her.

 _I felt as through I was in Ponn Farr, the Vulcan mating cycle where the afflicted Vulcan thinks of nothing but procreation. If we don’t mate, our blood will over heat to the point of hyperthermia_ _and cook our internal organs._

Jon was slightly confused. _I don’t know if that’s good or bad._

_It’s very fortunate for yourself. The passion I felt resembled what I would feel during a Ponn Farr cycle…although, in Ponn Farr, the instinct to mate takes over almost entirely, and I could hurt you if I were properly restrained._

_Restrains, huh?_ Jonathan began to conjure up some thoughts.

_It’s not as pleasant as you imagine it to be, Jonathan. There’s a lot more involved with Ponn Farr…perhaps I’ll explain later._

After a while, Jonathan realized their skin, which had been moistened slightly by their perspiration, was beginning to grow sticky and he was feeling a bit scuzzy. He also became aware of the fact that his scent would overpower T’Pol’s nose when she woke up tomorrow, unless something was done about it tonight.

 _I think I’ll get some rest before taking a shower,_ she said.

He gently pushed T’Pol off of himself as he went to rise from the bed. 

“It’ll only take a minute,” he told her, “and I wouldn’t want to waste water by us both taking a shower on our own. Beside, that shower’s pretty large.”

A dirty thought crossed Jonathan’s mind at that same moment. He hoped it was a premonition.

“You’ll rest better after a shower. Come on, I’ll carry you then.”

With a little bit of effort, he scooped a very nude T’Pol into his arms. She was certainly a lot heavier than she looked, that was for sure. He remembered briefly the differences in gravity and density and remembered to account for it the next time he lifted T’Pol in the future.

 _It’s due to the fact that my blood is copper-based,_ she informed him. _Copper weighs more than iron. A human female of my exact height, percentage of body fat, muscle mass and skeletal frame would weight twelve percent less than myself._

“Okay, then,” he replied as he opened the door to the shower. Being a gentleman, he let T’Pol step in first. Jonathan turned on the water to an ideal temperature for both of them. T’Pol placed a liberal amount of soap onto her hands and began to rub it over Jonathan’s front side, much to his surprise. The feel of her hands upon him were re-igniting a passion in him. His hands on her back did the same for T’Pol.

For the first time, Jonathan focused to see what T’Pol was thinking. To his delight, she had some very naughty images running around in her disciplined Vulcan mind of hers, and realized that she wouldn’t stop him if he wanted to do more…exploration. And he very much wanted to have his way with her right now.

T’Pol turned around and Jonathan began to wash her back—or rather, he began to massage her back while the soap was still on his hands. Without asking her permission first, he began to nibble on the back of her neck. T’Pol let out a sigh as she began to feel her desire for him come back in full force and the little restraint she had flee from her grasp. Jonathan, by luck, was working on a particularly sensitive area around the base where the neck and spine meet.

“Mmm…” was all she could say. Her mind was numb to everything except Jonathan and what he was doing with his hands on her bosom just now.

Several moments later, T’Pol let out a gasp as he turned her around to pull her in close. Jonathan placed his mouth upon hers, parting his lips enough to run the tip of his tongue across her own lips, making her want him even more. She scolded herself for allowing this to happen a second time, but made no attempt to end his advances. Instead she whimpered for more.

Their hands moved over one another until their desire took over once more. Before she knew it, T’Pol found herself pinned up against the shower wall that was farthest from the showerhead. Jonathan had a much firmer grip on her shoulders than he had ever used on her before.

She looked into his eyes—green eyes that contained passion and that determined look that she could not say no to. She pulled him in for a long, passionate, heat-filled kiss as Jonathan grabbed her bum and lifted her to where their hips met. She wrapped her legs around his waist to get a better hold on him. T’Pol could feel his manhood pressing up against her womanhood, and ached for the moment when he would be inside her.

Jonathan pulled away to get a good look at her. Her hands were on his shoulders, the water beading off her skin. The steam from the shower as well as the water caused her short brown hair to be a little stringy, which made her luminous eyes seem bigger than they already were. All the while, T’Pol felt her desire growing more uncontrollable with each passing moment and her breathing grow more shallow.

“Take…me…now…” she managed to say. Jonathan fulfilled her wish and pressed her against the wall to better position himself inside her wanting body.

She let out a loud cry of delight as he entered her. At the same moment it dawned on T’Pol that the position she was in left her completely at Jonathan’s mercy. One wrong move and the two of them could slip on the tile and get hurt. Likewise, if Jonathan wanted to do anything to her, there was nothing she could do about it. This knowledge didn’t scare her, but served only to excite her more as he began to thrust into her.

“Please don’t stop,” she cried.

“I don’t intend to,” he replied before sucking forcefully upon her neck.

***

Twice in one night. Jonathan Archer had not expected to be intimate with anyone that week, much less the one woman he wanted to be with. He never expected to make love with her ever, let alone twice in one night. But that was exactly what happened, and he was still in disbelief.

He carried T’Pol out the bathroom and back onto the bed, slipping her under the covers before going through his clothing. She looked at him, wondering why he was dressing so quickly.

_Perhaps I should get dressed after all…_

Much to her surprise, he pulled out a single navy-blue sweatshirt and brought it over to her. T’Pol’s mind was put to ease. She knew what this gesture of wearing one’s clothing after sexual relations meant in the human culture.

“Here,” he said. “You can put it on to keep you warm tonight.”

She sat up and allowed Jonathan to slip the garment over her head. The scent of him instantly registered into her nose, but after the closeness she had experienced with him that night, it was very minimal and very comfortable. Her cheek began to feel warm when he placed one of his large hands upon it.

“Close your eyes and get some rest now,” he told her, then added, “Do you want me to sleep next to you tonight, or…”

T'Pol closed a hand over his. “Please…stay. That’s what you want to do.”

He smiled and T’Pol moved over to let him in the bed next to her. Instantly his hands gravitated to her flat stomach as he pulled her back up against his bare chest. Never had Jonathan ever wanted to cuddle and hold a woman after sex so much as he did with her. He knew this was a big gift T’Pol had given to him, and he didn’t want to leave her by herself that night, even if she had declined his offer.

_Thank you, Jonathan._

_For what?_

_For everything you’ve brought into my life._ She raised her two fingers, which were met with his. They stayed connected like that for a few moments, then T’Pol lay back down closed her eyes.

Jonathan whispered into her beautiful pointed ear, “You mean so much to me. I should be thanking you. Now go to sleep. You need your rest.”

A moment passed by.

“Jonathan?”

“No more talking, remember?”

T’Pol wasn’t sure if she would be willing to say this in the morning, so she chose to tell him now.

“I love you, too.”

She turned around and nuzzled her head against the bottom of his chin, placing her hands tenderly on his shoulders. They gazed into each other’s eyes for a moment before they gave in into the relaxing sensation of sleep. For the first time in what seemed like ages, their minds were at peace as they dreamed of being with one another.

Meanwhile, the local inhabitants of Jyora were celebrating their Moon Festival with a festive display of fireworks, which could be seen right outside their window.

***

Several hours later, T’Pol woke up. She looked over at Jonathan, and her mind began to race with thoughts, and none of them were desirable.

She had been intimate with a human. Interspecies relationships were looked down upon on Vulcan, even with species that Vulcans were more favorable towards; a relationship with a human was unheard of.

Then there was the issue of Jonathan—Captain Archer—being her commanding officer. Officially, she was a civilian, but she didn’t leave her career at the High Council to live a civilian lifestyle. How could they continue a relationship—if they decided that they wanted to do so—when they worked so closely with each other?

And her emotions? Tonight, T’Pol hadn’t felt in control for the first time in her life. Instead she allowed herself to be controlled by her primal urges against her better judgment. She had known the reasons why they shouldn’t have been intimate. This loss of control worried her more than anything else.

T’Pol became aware that she heard a somewhat familiar sound. It was coming from the glass door, and it sounded much like the shower. A clasp of thunder let her know it was raining outside. It came as a surprise to her. Her scans of the surface before they left for shore leave hadn’t indicated any changes in weather.

She hadn’t expected any changes in her relationship with Jonathan, either.

Her thoughts made Jonathan stir in his sleep. _Get some sleep, darling,_ he told her. In his sleep, he went to place a hand on her shoulder, which T’Pol pulled away from. It scared her of what might happen if he touched her.

At the same time, it wasn’t something she _wanted_ to do. Suppressing emotions meant suppressing _all_ emotions, and for good reason—they were volatile by nature, and she would never want to hurt Jonathan in any way.

T’Pol looked at his sleeping face, and knew a discussion was in order in the morning. She knew Jonathan well enough to know that it would hardly be a pleasant one.

_I hope you can understand. I’m doing this for your own good._

She then turned around and placed her head on his shoulder, preparing to fall asleep. T’Pol knew this couldn’t last, but she wanted to make what little time they had together worth while. There was no need to pull back…not yet. Jonathan wrapped his arms around her back, and T’Pol fell asleep, her mind—and for once, her heart as well—being very troubled.


	15. The Morning After

Jonathan woke up, feeling ten years younger than the morning before. This morning, he was very glad to wake up, for he knew what to expect when he opened his eyes: The sight of T’Pol snuggled in his arms, sleeping very peacefully.

He smiled at the sight of her. At that moment, Jonathan didn’t think of her as his science officer or his friend, but simply as “his”. As long as she lay there, snuggled next to him, she was his to hold onto and shelter from the cold. It was indeed a cold morning, for it had rained heavily the night before, when he had been asleep and T’Pol had been plagued by her thoughts. Because of T’Pol’s mental superiority, Jonathan was blissfully ignorant of this.

 _I could wake up every morning like this,_ he thought happily to himself.

It hadn’t occurred to him that T’Pol might feel a bit differently about this once she was awake. In all their thoughts, she had never mentioned anything about a relationship. But Jonathan knew she loved him and that was more than enough to make him feel hopeful about a future with her.

Seconds later, he felt T’Pol stirring and knew she was going to wake up soon. It was then that he remembered what day it was.

The first thing T’Pol noticed upon waking up was Jonathan’s arms wrapped around her, so warm and comforting. Nestled against the top of her head was his cheek, warm from love and comfort and hope—and thinking only about her and how he looked forward to tomorrow. All the while, T’Pol was fortunate to have this mental advantage over him where she could shield her thoughts away from him—most of the time. She loved him, but couldn’t bear to bring him see him hurt any sooner than she had to.

  _I have to tell him._

“Morning, darling.”  Jonathan briefly thought about kissing her on the lips, but wisely, he didn’t act on it. Instead, he kissed her forehead. He figured T’Pol wouldn’t object to that.

“Good morning, Jonathan,” she said. Jonathan felt there was something odd in her voice when she said that, but did not mention it.

They each felt a bit nervous about what to say to one another. Finally, Jon asked, “Would you like something to eat? I could…bring it to the, um…the bed.”

T’Pol pushed herself off his body suddenly, remembering quickly that serving someone of the opposite sex breakfast in bed was a romantic gesture.  She did not wish to encourage such behavior when there would be no romance of which to speak. “I think we can eat on the sofa, as we have before.”

She definitely saw some hurt in his eyes, which quickly faded. “All right. I’ll go get something to eat.” Jonathan got up out the bed and began heading towards the door.

“Jonathan.”

“Yes?”

“It may be better if you wear some clothing.” Her eyes scanned his nude body as Jonathan’s cheeks turned red. He quickly walked over to his bag and hastily threw on a form-fitting T-shirt and a pair of jeans that accented his rear. T’Pol noticed that very quickly when he came over to her side and gave her another kiss on the forehead.

When he went to do this, Jonathan noticed a mark on T’Pol’s neck that was a dull shade of chartreuse. It was the same side of her neck he’d bitten into last night, and quickly realized that the mark was a hickey. He watched T’Pol rub the mark.

“I’m sure I have at least one article of clothing that could hide it,” she replied calmly. “You needn’t worry. The blood will go down by tomorrow.”

He had been worried, as T’Pol was able to sense. Even so, he couldn’t help but feel the slightest bit proud. “I’ll be right back,” he told her and left her to her thoughts.

Her mind replayed the moment when they were intimate in the shower. It was a completely different experience than when they had made love in the bed; the bed was safe and predicable, but the shower was dangerous and spontaneous. While her mind was prepared for Jonathan the first time she had not planned on there being a second time.

In the shower, she had lost her ability for coherent thought a lot easier and when she felt her desire being released, she had nearly stopped thinking completely. Passion had taken the place of logic as T’Pol felt nothing but Jonathan’s love in the all too brief moment of climax. While T’Pol had felt pleasure the first time, she felt a lot more the second time around.

 _It may seem that everything could turn out well,_ T’Pol thought to herself, _but no Vulcan has been able to find that perfect balance between logic and emotion. It must be one or the other, as I have learned in a much unfortunate way. By ending it today, I will hurt him less._

T’Pol got up to freshen herself up and remembered she was wearing Jonathan’s sweatshirt. The bottom hem, which went down to Jonathan’s hipbone, barely covered T’Pol’s bum while she was standing. Hastily, she grabbed a pair of pants and searched for a high-necked top to cover the mark that Jonathan had left on her neck. After finding a suitable top, she went into the bathroom and turned on the shower. As she soaped herself up, she imagined Jonathan was there with her. The feel of his hands was easy to bring up, for now she knew what they felt like…

_No. I can’t do this. If I indulge in these emotions, I’ll forget why my conversation with him is necessary._

She got out the shower as fast as she could and changed quickly. Upon her exit, she found that Jonathan had returned with the aforementioned breakfast. On her tray was something that looked like a rose She arched an eyebrow.

“Happy birthday,” Jon said as she sat down. “It’s not really a rose…it’s a seashell I saw on the beach. I was reminded of you when I saw it.”

T’Pol picked up the “stem” and pulled the shell off of it to get a better feel of it. Jonathan beamed with pride as he watched her intense gaze. Likewise, T’Pol felt her heart rate increase once more. She could no longer keep count for as to how many times he had made her do that.

“It’s very beautiful,” she said as she set the shell down on her tray. “Thank you.”

She picked up her cup to sip her tea and their conversation ended. Their meal was unusually silent and some unresolved tension lingered. It wasn’t every day—or more aptly, every night—that a Vulcan and a human shared in the most intimate activity two people could engage in. Jonathan knew nothing about Vulcan mating rituals, nor did T’Pol know much about how emotional humans could be after such intimacy.

Suddenly, Jonathan set his half-eaten plate on that table. “I can’t take this.”

“Take what?” asked T’Pol coolly—a bit too coolly for Jonathan’s liking.

“You don’t know? This…tension about last night! I’m sure even _you_ want to talk about it!”

“There’s no need to discuss the events of last night,” she said. “We both know the details.”

This calm, reluctant attitude was pissing the hell out of Jonathan. He had grown wise enough not to show it in front of her, however. Instead he continued to speak. “I don’t want to discuss… _details_. I want to know a few things. I mean, it’s not every day when Vulcans and humans…you know.”

“Have sexual relations,” she filled in.

Jonathan winced at the most unromantic term. “It felt more like making love last night.”

“What exactly did you want to know?” T’Pol replied quickly. She didn’t think it would be wise to dwell on the event.

“Well…I’m no expert on anything Vulcan. Most of what I know I heard from you. Well…I guess I’m a bit curious. What is the Ponn Farr like? I mean, really like?” He knew that it brought about feelings of arousal, but Jonathan was fairly certain there was way more involved.

T’Pol did feel slightly uncomfortable about discussing the issue of Ponn Farr with him. It was a topic that Vulcans never dwelled upon, until their hour of need was upon them.

“Oh…I guess I could always look it up in the Vulcan database…”

“No…” she told him. “There isn’t any information in the ship’s database about the condition.”

Jonathan nodded. “Only if you feel comfortable.”

“Ponn Farr, as you know, is the Vulcan mating cycle. Every Vulcan goes through the Ponn Farr every seven years of their adult lives. If they do not mate, they’ll overheat and die.”

“I know.”

“During this time, our judgment in logic becomes very impaired. That’s why Vulcans must become linked mentally upon marriage. The stability of one mind helps to calm the mind of the other during their cycle.”

“Why can’t Vulcans have a cycle at the same time?” It would make more sense that way to Jonathan. But of course, T’Pol came up with a logical answer.

“For most members of my species, Ponn Farr is the only time in which they will procreate. If a husband and wife have Ponn Farr cycles in two different times, it will increase the chance of conception…which is the purpose of the mating cycle to begin with.”

“I see,” he said quietly.

“And one mind must be coherent so that they don’t kill each other during foreplay.” T’Pol noticed Jonathan seemed a little tense at the barbaric thought. “Vulcan sexuality is a bit harsher than most humanoids…including Klingons.”

Jonathan became worried as another thought came into his mind. T’Pol was sixty-three. Could _she_ go into a Ponn Farr cycle soon?

“Females don’t experience Ponn Farr until they have been properly bonded. Males, however, are not so fortunate.” She continued to eat her breakfast and Jonathan went back to eating his.

It was…interesting to hear something so uncalculating about the Vulcan culture for once. To Jonathan, it was very difficult to grasp that someday T’Pol could lose her control and passion would take over her every thought. But only if she were bonded…

“What about us?” he asked her. “We hear each other’s thought and feel one another. Could you go thought this…because of _me_?”

“I can’t say. There is no one I know that has been bonded with anyone other than a fellow Vulcan. But there may be a strong possibility that _you_ could feel what I feel—if that were the case.”

 _Perhaps this is why Vulcan children are betrothed so young,_ Jonathan contemplated. It was then, and only then, that the idea of T’Pol having a fiancé back at home came to his mind. But if she did, surely she would have told him by now. After all, she and Jonathan had served on _Enterprise_ for the better part of three years. But what if she did? Vulcans are loyal to their mates, weren’t they?

T’Pol was able to sense him thinking about this question. Even she had forgotten her former engagement to Kos and no one except Commander Tucker knew about it. T’Pol had never intended to discuss the matter with anyone else, but given the circumstances, she owed Jonathan that much.

“I did have a fiancé…once.”

Jon paused mid-bite before resuming his meal. _Wow…I…don’t even know what to say about that._

“There’s nothing to be said. I’ve put it behind me.”

She hadn’t expected to see the hint of anger in his eyes.

“You know, you could have told me that _before_ …” Jonathan cut himself off before saying the most hurtful thing he’d ever say. Still, to put aside a whole engagement? If T’Pol could do that with a fiancé, he certainly didn’t have a chance in Hell. He felt saddened at the prospect. He loved her.

“My engagement was not my choice,” she told him. “In fact, I’ve only met and spoken with Kos only four times in my life.”

T’Pol felt Jonathan was becoming reassured. “In sixty-three years?”

“Sixty. I ended the arrangement nearly three years ago.”

 _Three years ago?_ He thought. _This was over three years ago, and you never thought of bringing this up to anyone?_

“I did speak to one person about it.” It was a guarantee that Jonathan would not like whom she chose to discuss it with.

“It was…Trip?” Jonathan Archer felt mostly confused now. To his knowledge, T’Pol and Trip were nowhere near friendly terms, but yet she chose to discuss a private topic with him? He felt a small pang of jealousy…but realized it wasn’t _his_ mind that T’Pol’s was linked with.

“I had received a letter from a nearby ship from my fiancé’s family. It was of utmost importance and therefore had to be sent through encrypted mail. However, Commander Tucker noticed the signal sent to my room was not authorized or sent though regular channels…”

“Oh, God…” Never had Jonathan felt so embarrassed. T’Pol’s face became puzzled. His eyes fell to the floor as he buried his face in his hands. “Let me guess. The contents were private, and I wouldn’t be too happy to know about them.”

“That sounds like something the Commander would say.”

“T’Pol, I…I know the rest. He…snooped through your mail because…I…I ordered him to.”

He knew exactly what she was talking about. It was around the time that _Enterprise_ was observing a comet larger than any a human had ever seen. “Conveniently,” a Vulcan ship just happened to be there at the exact same time, also to observe the comet. When Trip had given him that PADD with the still-encrypted message, Jonathan, with his narrow-mindedness whenever Vulcans were concerned, assumed the worst. He felt badly about ordering Trip to read her mail—but now he felt ten times worse.

“You...ordered him to read the letter?” T’Pol was aware of Jonathan’s misguided distrust of Vulcans, but she never thought he’d invade her privacy. The incident was a long time ago, but she was nonetheless angry…and to her surprise, a bit hurt to find this out.

“Please…you have to know, I’m very sorry about that.” _Damnit, I’m so sorry to hurt you. I was such a different person back then. We’ve all changed._

“Indeed we have.” Having lost her appetite, T’Pol got up from the sofa and walked to the glass door. Jonathan was correct—they had both changed from the people they used to be. Only T’Pol wasn’t sure if she wanted to accept the change in herself anymore.

_I thought I had Jonathan’s respect and friendship. I even…feel for him. How can I pursue that if I can’t trust him?_

Jonathan got up and stood right behind her. “You _can_ trust me.”

“How many times?” She didn’t finish the rest of the sentence; he knew what she was saying.

“I swear that was the only time. I felt so ashamed of what I did.”

T’Pol did not turn back to look at him. He tried to hear what she was thinking. Instead he got the image of a brick wall. T’Pol wouldn’t even speak to him.

“Please, I can’t endure the silence any longer. I’m sorry for what I did so long ago. Can you really hold that against me, after you know that I love you? You can feel that--”

“Let go of me!” she snapped quite forcefully as Jonathan reached for her shoulder. T’Pol pulled her arm away. A wave of hurt, one far greater than what she was just feeling two minutes ago, washed through her. She turned around to see Jonathan’s eyes on the verge of tears. A lump formed in her own throat.

“I’m...sorry…” Jonathan managed to speak, his eyes downcast. “I thought that maybe…you…Oh, hell. Damnit, I want a relationship! With _you_! After the passion we shared last night, I can _never_ be with another woman. It wasn’t just the physical part I want…it’s the _emotional_ part.”

_Emotions…it’s why we were intimate in the first place._

“Damn straight!” he cried. “You Vulcans can control how you express your feelings, but not what you feel!”

Jonathan was shocked as the words left his mouth. He hadn’t planned on saying that, but as he said them, he realized it was true. And head learn this from T’Pol herself. She made never have sat down to watch a water polo game with him, but displayed her friendship by insisting he go on their first shore leave; Months later, she has asked him to help her capture Menos, allowing her perfect Vulcan exterior to drop; She’d express gratitude for his help concerning the Pa’Nar syndrome; And here on this shore leave, she had express how much she cared for him…

“I didn’t control how I expressed them last night.”

“And I don’t blame you! Love makes people do things that they wouldn’t ordinarily do…like push aside old grievances…”

Her eyes flashed with anger. “I have already forgiven you about the letter.”

“Actually, I was talking about me…and my view of Vulcans…my view of you.”

Jonathan no longer viewed her as one of _them._ She was T’Pol, special and unique and so very irreplaceable in his life. If something were to ever her—which was always a possibility in their line of work—he wasn’t sure if he would be able to cope…especially not now, since he finally knew what she felt for him.

And what he finally let _himself_ realize.

“I need you. You complete me. We complete each other. Do you see what I’m trying to tell you?!” All the while, Jonathan was trying to show restraint and not grab her and hold her in his arms. He also tried not to cry, but one tear fell across his face despite his efforts.

“Yes…I do…” T’Pol said quietly.

It wasn’t what she had intended to tell him. She wanted to tell him about the danger of giving in to her emotions; of how the person she may become if she lost her control frightened her; of how any offspring they may have, if it were possible, would be outsiders on Vulcan…and mostly, T’Pol wanted to tell him that it would be better to feel a little pain now instead of a greater, prolonged pain later on in their future. But the words did not come out her mouth. Instead she placed a hand on his face and gave it a slight stroke. The feel of him felt wonderful…too wonderful…

She dropped her hand to her side. “We can’t do this…I can’t…”

Sharply, T’Pol pulled away from him and headed for the front door. Jonathan stopped her.

“Where are you going? I can’t let you go out in your condition.”

“I’m fine,” she told him, but couldn’t even convince herself of this.

“No you’re not!” he said firmly. Jonathan wasn’t yelling this time. “We need to discuss this!”

“Please…Jonathan.” Her eyes pleased with him as well as her voice. “Let me…have some...time…to think.”

His first thought was to hold on to her for dear life. But he had learned that T’Pol could be as stubborn as he could. _I guess this is the right thing to do._

_I will come back to you, Jonathan…some way or another._

“How do I know…”

“You’ll have to trust me,” she replied.

Jonathan said and did nothing as T’Pol walked out the door, and possibly out of his life.

 _Of course, I’ll see her again,_ he told himself. _She had to get on the ship somehow. But…it won’t be the same. We won’t be friends, and T’Pol will go back to referring to me as “Captain.” It won’t even be like the first year she was here, because I could never look at her again and be reminded of the passion we shared. I’ve ruined everything._

At this point, Jonathan lost all strength. He slumped to his knees, then leaned his back against the nearby wall and let all the pain and angst he had been holding in run free and sobbed. There had only been one time that he cried so hard and that was when his father died. His loyal friend Porthos came and sat next to him. He could do nothing for his daddy’s pain but just be there.

“Come here, little guy.”

Archer took the dog and pulled him in next to his chest. He rocked Porthos as though he were a baby… _his_ baby, a child with ears like his mother. Porthos whimpered from all the sadness he felt for him.

***

T’Pol did not go to the village.

Instead, she walked through the forest, down the very same path she and Jonathan had taken barely a day and a half ago...and a few hours before they realized they were mentally linked. It seemed a lot longer than thirty-six hours ago that they learned this. Even the day they spent at the shore yesterday seemed like another lifetime. A lifetime to T’Pol would be a very long one indeed.

 _So much has happened these past five days,_ she said to herself. _Not just the events of last night. A lot has happened to me even before we were intimate. I dreamed of such a moment. I longed for it. Why should I be so unhappy now that I have fulfilled my curiosity?_

_It wasn’t curiosity. I care for Jonathan. I cherish and even love him, but is the pleasure I feel from him in my life worth the risks? We’d have no home to raise any children we may have. We’d be outsiders on Vulcan. Jonathan still serves for Starfleet and in every sense of the word I’m a subordinate._

But she knew Jonathan’s heart, and that he no longer thought of her as just a friend and fellow officer. He would give up his career to be with her…after all, T’Pol had given up hers to stay when he had needed her.

She hadn’t loved him then. T’Pol had told herself that when Phlox mentioned her decision five days ago in Sick Bay…when her flushed complexion and peaks in temperature were new sensations to her. Even if they had been only friends, did her friendship mean enough to lose her career over?

_Yes. Jonathan has helped me many times when my own colleagues at the Vulcan High Command would not have._

But when did she fall in love with him?

 _It just happened one night. Over time, I supposed something…happened, that I wasn’t aware of consciously._ Even the teachings of Surek could not explain the logic of love. There wasn’t any.

T’Pol happened upon a fork in the road, which even she found to a bit ironic. She remembered that the right road left to Fellis’s hotel. Somehow, she didn’t wish to go there. It would be much too chipper. The left road, it appeared, led somewhere else. She looked down the latter road to see that it inclined downward, near the far side of the lake. There was no one to be found, but a cottage lay ahead, which meant someone would be around.

As she walked down the lane, she looked upon the lake. T’Pol wondered if Jonathan was looking out the window, too.

Suddenly, the last five days flashed before her—the first night, when they were in the snow, the first day in the swimming pool; their second night, when they dance with one another; the third day when Jonathan tried to make her stay in bed for her own good; yesterday when they went to the shore—All so very pleasant memories, but served as painful memories of what T’Pol could never have with him. She sat on the nearest rock she could find and cried.

At the same time, Jonathan heard his name being called. It was T’Pol’s voice, but the tone couldn’t be hers. She was just too upset to her.

_That’s just my imagination. It just can’t be her._

But what if it was? T’Pol didn’t want him to follow after her. What was he to do?

 


	16. Resolutions

“Oh, come on, Malcolm! She’s been a part of the crew since we left space dock, an’ you think it’s too formal to wish her a happy birthday?”

Malcolm paused. “She’s a Vulcan, Comman-er, Trip! And I’m not even as close to her as you are. I don’t know, this kind seems a bit too friendly.”

“Grr…” Trip let out a quasi agitated growl as he shook his head. “Ya know, there’s such a thing as takin’ an idea too far. There’s nothing wrong with fraternizin’ a _little_ bit.”

While the two men were continuing their banter, Hoshi let out a quiet sigh that went unnoticed.

 _You won’t change his mind on that one, Trip,_ she thought silently. Malcolm had reminded her on many occasions that he wasn’t too fond of fraternizing, and by the looks of it, that included her, too. It wasn’t often that Hoshi Sato could make up her mind and stick with any one thing, but her heart definitely told her there was only one man for her. Unfortunately, that one man outranked her, and didn’t seem likely that he’d break any regs to engage in a relationship with her.

And the irony was, it was this sort of stubborn thinking that attracted her to Malcolm in the first place.

Soon, Trip’s booming voice broke her train of thought.

“Hey, I gotta ask. Whadda you think of senior officers datin’?”

She made sure not to look at Malcolm when she replied to this. “Um…it’s all right…”

“See, Mal? Even Hoshi’s for it!”

 _You have no idea,_ Hoshi thought glumly as they continued to walk to T’Pol’s room.

***

Hoshi’s mood was pale in comparison to Jonathan’s, who lay stretched on the floor, face down, burying his whole head into his arms. By now, he had ran out of sobs and merely cried silently to himself.

 _I’ve ruined everything. How could I have been so selfish and so stupid? I’m the captain; I’m the one responsible for the well being of my crew. Now, T’Pol will never forgive herself, and it’s all my fault._ This fact upset him the most. _Why am I always so damn careless!? She wouldn’t be terminally ill if it weren’t for me pushing her to work with that bastard Tolaris, just because he was Vulcan! I don’t deserve her._

Porthos, who had been resting by Jonathan’s head this entire time, jumped up when he heard a knock on the door. Being completely oblivious to his surroundings, it went unnoticed by Jonathan.

“That’s odd, Jonathan never leaves Porthos unattended,” he heard a voice say from the other side. It sounded a lot like Trip’s. The voice was followed by loud raps on the door. “Jonathan! Are ya in there?”

Archer most certainly didn’t want to get up just then, but knew he’d soon call him over the communicator if he didn’t respond. With every bit of strength he had, he pushed himself up and walked over to the door to open it.

Trip’s merry demeanor changed to one of concern when he saw Jonathan’s red, puffy eyes. What could cause him this much distress?

“Hey,” Trip said quietly, “what’s the matter? Where’s T’Pol?” He peered around the door for sight of her.

Jonathan lowered his head. “She isn’t here.”

Malcolm and Hoshi exchanged similar looks of worry and confusion. It had only been two days that they saw T’Pol and Archer holding hands without realizing it. They were able to sense something had happened between them.

“Well, is she all right?” Malcolm asked.

 _Oh, God, I don’t want to be talking about this,_ he thought to himself glumly. “It’s…nothing…”

Jon felt Trip’s hand on his shoulder. “Cap’n, you aren’t fooling anyone. Maybe you could tell me what’s goin’ on…in private.” He knew Trip well enough to know that he wouldn’t rest until he go to the bottom of it. And it wouldn’t be like the problem would go away in a few days, either. With a nod of his head, Jon let Trip aside and Hoshi and Malcolm walked off a few feet away.

“Jon,” he said. He rarely called him Jon, save in such situations like this. “What happened between you and T’Pol?”

“Who said it had anything to do with _her_?” he snapped sullenly.

“Because she’s the only person in the world that you’d cry so hard about, except maybe me. And I’m right as rain.”

Trip had expected Jon to go into the familiar “I can’t possibly be in love with a Vulcan” routine and deny there could ever be anything between them. To his surprise, Jon told him, “Yeah, it is about T’Pol. I told her. I told her everything.”

“You…you did?”

“Yeah…you were right, Trip. I love her.”

Jonathan knew Trip had been waiting to hear that all week. Had he not been so upset, he was certain he’d be getting teased about it by now. Instead, Trip sat as quietly as he.

“I’m guessin’ she doesn’t feel the same way?”

Jonathan let out a bitter laugh. “There’s irony for you.”

“What do you mean?”

“Well…oh, God, this is hard to talk about…” Jonathan hung his head low, trying to avoid Trip’s looks of curiosity. “We…er, I needed...some, um, neuropressure for that ache I get in my shoulder. You know, the one from the regionals?”

Trip nodded quietly.

“We were in the middle of the, um..you know…and I kind of…er, that is to say…she told me how she felt…and I told her about my own feelings.”

 _Well, everything seems are right so far,_ Trip thought to himself. _But something’s missin’, I just know it._

At that moment, Porthos jumped up on Trip’s lap with the pajama jump T’Pol had worn last night—the one that Jonathan realized had two buttons missing—two that he had _torn_ off in a fit of passion.

This scene was so embarrassing it stunned Jonathan from making any attempt to remove the shirt from Porthos’s mouth. He simply prayed and hoped Trip wouldn’t give it a close look.

“Hey, let go of that!” Trip straightened the shirt out and gave it a shake by holding it up. Jonathan’s worst fear was realized as Trip frowned up lightly. “That’s odd…there’s two buttons missing from the top…sorta like they were torn off…”

Jonathan looked away, feeling very guilty and very flushed, a gesture that was hardly subtle. He felt Trip’s eyes boring holes right through him. “You know something about this, don’t you?”

His guilt got the better of him and he jump to his feet.

“Fine! I do know something about it! It wasn’t something we planned, it just happened, all right? We found out about our mutual feelings and we acted on it!”

“Jon, are you—”

“I know it wasn’t right, but I couldn’t help myself!” he continued, ignoring Trip. “I wanted her and she wanted me and…we were tired of hiding it!”

“Whoa, slow ya roll…!”

“Every night I thought about us being together and now…”

For a moment, it looked to Jon that Trip was ready to fall out of his seat by the stunned stare on his face. Trip stood up slowly.

“so…you’re telling me that you…and _T’Pol_ …were…together?” he asked slowly.

“Yes, Trip!”

“YOU AND T’POL WERE KNOCKIN’ BOOTS?!” he yelled unexpectedly. “What the fu..?!”

Before Jonathan could stop himself, he took a swung right for Trip. He had no right to degrade their experience like that! And what would Trip Tucker know about romance when the man had only been in three relationships? It wasn’t like he could appreciate a woman like T’Pol!

His fist landed on the side of Trip’s left cheek and he stumbled back into the sofa as Jonathan grabbed a hold of the collar of his shirt. The younger man was very visibly shaken, but Jonathan seemed oblivious to it.

“How… _dare_ you…say such a thing?!” Jonathan growled.

“Jon, I didn’t mean it like that!” he cried. Trip was using all the restraint he could not to kick Jon’s ass to the ground. This was so sudden and completely uncalled for. “What the hell is this about?”

“You! You and her!”

Even as he said the words, Jonathan Archer could scarcely believe it…but he couldn’t stop himself.

“Are you talking about…” Trip gasped in disbelief.

“You and T’Pol are the couple that everyone gossip about with your goddamn neuropressure! Getting her to touch you and getting to be near her and she doesn’t _care_ about you!”

“Well, that doesn’t mean I care about her…”

“Of course you don’t!” he barked. “all you cared about is your own whims!”

Instantaneously, Jonathan felt himself being thrown about four feet, knocking the coffee table on its side in the process. Trip jumped on his feet, looking justifiably angry and hurt, as his best friend—or who he thought to be thereof—shook off the fall. Enough was enough.

“I didn’t want to do that, Jon,” he tried to say between breaths of air, “I don’t make a habit of hittin’ my superior officers, but I won’t hesitate to knock some damn sense into one of my friends.”

 _He’s right._ Jonathan knew his actions were inexcusable. He should have known better. _Oh, God, how the hell did I let myself get so jealous like that? Now I’ve hurt_ two _people I care about today._

“Oh, damn…I don’t know what got over me just now.” He lowered his head slightly. “I’m sorry.”

Trip was about to go into a tirade about how utterly stupid he was acting when he saw Jon shedding a few tears. He tried to quickly brush them away, and Trip realized he could no longer be mad…especially since Jonathan had been partially right…

Jonathan took Trip’s hand and pulled himself up.

“That’s okay…no, really, you’re a very upset man. I would be too.”

“How the hell would you know?” he snapped.

Trip sighed. He couldn’t keep Jon in the dark any longer. “Sit down…I need to tell you something.”

Once seated on the bed, he continued. “I didn’t want to tell you this earlier ’cause I know you. You would’ve never followed your heart and we’d both be miserable men.”

Jonathan looked puzzled. “What do you mean?”

“I mean that I…that, um…there was a time that I thought I had feelings for T’Pol.”

Strangely, Jonathan had no desire to punch him for this comment. Mostly he was confused.

“Wait a minute…Trip, all week you’ve been pushing the idea of us as a couple down our throats and claiming that she wasn’t you’re type of woman! Wasn’t it just two days ago that you told me you don’t feel a thing for her?”

Trip stood up. “And I was telling the truth. I don’t feel anything for her now. I’ll swear on a stack of Bibles I don’t.”

By the solemness of his usually animated face, Jonathan could tell that he certainly seemed honest. But one thing he wanted to know.

“When did you…?”

“It was soon after the neuropressure sessions started,” and at this Jonathan sighed. “But I sat myself down and said to myself ‘Self, are you in love with T’Pol or are you two just spending too much time together?’

“Then last Tuesday, when we were in the shuttlebay, remember? And T’Pol was out of that catsuit?”

“How could I forget?” Instantly, Jonathan felt his body growing warm once more at the recollection.

“When I saw her, I realized…I wasn’t in love with her.”

“But how--”

“Because I saw how you were trying to talk to her and you were gettin’ all nervous…I practically saw the sparks between you two! I knew my friendship with the both of you was more important than following a stupid lustful filling.”

The room fell unnaturally quiet. Jonathan felt like a complete ass. All this time he’d been accusing Trip of going after T’Pol for the wrong reasons. Now here Trip was, not only confirming his lust, but also admitting he had stepped aside for the sake of their friendship. “Oh, Trip…”

Trip waved his hand to shrug it off. “It’s nothing, okay?”

“Jonathan stood up once more. “No, it’s not okay. I accused you of something that you didn’t do, and it’s wrong. I’m sorry.”

“I can’t stay mad at you, Jon,” Trip replied. “You were afraid you’d lose the woman you love.”

He nodded. “So, you’re sure you don’t feel anything for her?”

“It wouldn’t matter if I did,” Trip said. “You’re the one that T’Pol has a mind link with. I wouldn’t want to get in the middle of that. You’re both so important to me, and I want you to be happy, Jon.”

Jonathan was shaking his head. He could never be happy about what they shared last night if there was any chance that T’Pol had thought it to be a mistake. He knew how attached he’d be after sharing their mutual bliss…but he hadn’t really thought about what she might feel.

 _I used to think Vulcans didn’t feel anything at all,_ he reflected gloomily. He soon felt Trip’s hand on his shoulder.

“Hey…T’Pol loves you.”

“She isn’t supposed to,” Jonathan whispered. “T’Pol’s not a human…it isn’t her…I can’t…”

And with that, Jonathan confided in Trip about the events last night, and of the past few hours.

“You wouldn’t think it, but she can be real passionate,” he concluded. “But this morning…I think she wants to distance herself from me Sex changes everything and I guess that goes double for Vulcans. We can’t go back to the way things were before last night. I wouldn’t even want to.”

“Woah…” was all Trip could say.

“And you know what the odd thing is? I don’t think T’Pol wants to, either.”

He let out a bothered sigh and stood up to pace around the room. “But that just frustrates me even more! Damn, I’m never going to understand her!”

“Maybe she’s scared,” Trip suggested.

Jonathan had not given much thought to his idea. “Scared of what? She knows me and I know her. We love each other, and that’s a fact.”

“Didn’t you try to talk her how logical this was? For you two to be together?”

 Jonathan shook his head sadly. “No. I had to let her go. T’Pol has enough pressure from herself without me adding to that.”

Trip nodded. _Boy, Jon’s chanced. Three years ago, he would have been shootin’ down these beliefs of hers. He would have thought his was the only way of doing things, but now he’s come to respect her as a woman and a Vulcan._

 The only way…a though suddenly occurred to him.

“You can sense each other’s emotions ’cause of that link, right?” Jonathan nodded quickly and Trip continued. “Then try an’ feel what T’Pol’s going through.”

“Huh?” he asked, although he had a feeling about what he was getting at.

“The link! You could listen to what she’s thinkin’ and feelin’!”

 _Of course!_ He thought to himself. _But maybe T’Pol doesn’t want me to probe her mind…_

“I don’t know, Trip,” Jonathan told him. Part of him realized this was the only logical option right now, since he didn’t know where T’Pol was right now. But he was equally scared of what he might find out if he did this. What if T’Pol _did_ think last night was a big mistake? What if she didn’t love him at all?

Would she just have a brief affair like that?

 _Oh, now, you’re just being stupid,_ The logical part of Jonathan’s brain told him. _Of course T’Pol wouldn’t do that. She’s Vulcan…which is why last night shouldn’t have happened. Well, it did, and I have to live with the consequences, for better or worse._

“I’d still feel better talking to her face to face about it.” Trip could tell that Jonathan felt uncomfortable with listening in to her thoughts. “She might not fell comfortable.”

“Jon, listen to yourself! If she didn’t feel comfortable with it, this link wouldn’t have formed between you on its own! Vulcans have _ceremonies_ to achieve this bond!” Even Jonathan had to admit he had a point there.

 “And if she doesn’t feel anything, you’ll know right away.”

_Well…I guess it’s now or never._

With a sigh, Jonathan closed his eyes and shut out his surroundings like T’Pol had shown him two nights ago. It took about three seconds before he felt anything, but as soon as he did, he immediately sensed fear in her…

_We can’t do this. I can’t do it to him…_

_Do, what, T’Pol? Come on, tell me…_

_I would be volatile if I let my emotions run free. Then Jonathan would no longer want me. It’s illogical to pursue this further._

It was only at that point that Jonathan realized T’Pol didn’t know he was there with her, since she kept referring to him in the third person. At the same time, he felt his own heart breaking. How could she ever think he’d leave her side? He continued to listen in.

_I would never want to be like Tolaris! I won’t let that happen!_

_No!_  Jonathan cried mentally, although she could not hear. _You could never be like him, ever! Not even if you tried!_

_I can’t hurt him…_

The link between them closed and he opened his eyes. Jonathan had received all the information he needed.

“She’s scared,” he said quietly. “Of losing control…and of hurting me.”

Now he really felt stupid. It had been in front of him the entire time! Jonathan remembered her telling him that very thing before they made love. “She said so last night…I should’ve known.”

But one thing still bothered him. “Why would T’Pol be afraid of hurting me for? It just doesn’t make sense!”

“I can’t answer that,” Trip said, “but I do know this. If T’Pol didn’t care so strongly for you, ya wouldn’t be able to have this ability to hear what she’s thinkin’. She must trust you a great deal for this to happen.”

_Trip’s right. T’Pol does care, and I care for her. Two days ago, I didn’t even think that was a possibility. Now with our mental link, we could possibly be tied forever._

“I’m sure you can convince her it’s worth it,” Trip continued. “I mean, the two of you are _mentally linked._ Now, there could be a way to end that…but I have a feeling that isn’t what either of you want.”

 _No, it isn’t_ Jonathan said silently.

An image formed in his head…a cottage, about fifteen minutes away…it sat right over on the other side of the lake. On a rock, sat a beautiful woman, but she was sad.. she was calling for him…no, it couldn’t be…

Which only meant that she _wanted_ him to come for her.

Jonathan knew immediately what he must do. He stood up and went to go grab his jacket.

“Where are ya goin’?” Trip asked.

“Going the extra mile, Trip.” Jonathan took T’Pol’s shirt and held it up to Porthos’s nose. “I’m going to find her and tell her how I’m always going to be there for her.”

Trip stood up as well. “You don’t know where the hell she is!”

“She told me…T’Pol sent me an image…I _know_ I’ll find her!”

 “Can’t ya just use that mind link?” he asked.

“It’s not a goddamn cell phone!” he snapped. “Some things are better told in person. And that’s just what I’m going to do.”

Jonathan went over to the door and flung it open, running past Hoshi and Malcolm without a second glance. Trip stuck his head out the doorframe, having never seen Jonathan run so fast.

“If he keeps goin’ at that speed, he’ll kill himself  ’fore he finds T’Pol,” Trip commented with a grin.

“So everything’s all right between the two of you?” Malcolm asked, noticing the slight bruise on Trip’s left cheek. “Hoshi and I heard some yelling between you two earlier…something about T’Pol.”

“Oh...Ohhhh…oh, I’m over that. Should we go now?”

The two of them followed Trip out the building, while Trip explained what had happened. The thin walls of the Jyoran hotel left very little room for privacy, and Hoshi and Malcolm were able to pick of the gist of the conversation.

“So now he’s out there looking for T’Pol like a madman,” Trip concluded with a smile. “I hope they work it out.”

“That’s romantic,” Hoshi cooed. Malcolm frowned.

“That’s rubbish. I’m surprised the Sub-Commander let it go on that far.”

“What do you meant by that, Malcolm?” she asked.

“I’m saying that it was completely inappropriate!” he cried. “People shouldn’t fraternize with subordinates.”

Hoshi’s eyes began to swell up with unseen tears. Her heart was aching. “There’s no official rules against it, Malcolm. The Captain is only human. Everyone wants to be loved, and there’s nothing wrong with it!”

“Oh, of course not, Hoshi, but there’s not rules that encourage inappropriate relations either!” But if giving the chance, Malcolm didn’t know if he’d refrain from “inappropriate relations” with Hoshi himself.

“Why does it bother you so much?”

“Why doesn’t it bother you a little bit more?”

Trip was beginning to sense the conversation was no longer about Jon and T’Pol.

Hoshi sighed. Her voice wavered a bit as she began to speak again. “Malcolm, are you really that dense? I’ve been hinting all week and you just don’t get it!”

Malcolm blinked. He thought he knew what Hoshi was getting at…but no, it couldn’t be.

“Oh, Malcolm, I…I…” She ran off to the furthest tree in eyesight and sobbed, leaving Trip and a stunned Malcolm to themselves.

“Whadda I do?” he asked. Trip replied with a light slap behind his head.

“Nothin’, Mal! She’s upset ’cause you haven’t picked up on any of the clues she’s been throwin’ at ya all week long! Argh! You really need work with women.”

The British man merely nodded, looking very upset. “What am I supposed to do now?”

“Do you need it to be spelled out for you? GO OVER THERE!!”

“Oh, um…right…”

Malcolm ran off to Hoshi’s side and tried to reach out for her shoulders. She pulled away from him.

“Go away,” she cried. “You made it clear…you don’t care for me.”

“Maybe it came out that way, Hoshi, but that’s not what I feel about you.”  _Oh, boy, I feel like a complete arse for saying that stuff._

“You made your point. You’re not going against the books…I’m the stupid one for even thinking about it.”

He turned her around and looked into her eyes. “No! You’re _not_ stupid. I am! I’m the one that pushes everyone that cares for me and that I care about away! I’m not about to do that again. It took me until this week to realize this, but now I know, so I’m going to tell you—I love you!”

Hoshi felt her heart stop beating for one moment as she saw a tear fall down his cheek.

“I’ve always thought you were too good for me, that I couldn’t approach you…”

“Why would you? I’ve felt something for you ever since we start serving on this ship!” she said.

“I’ve never been good at sharing…what I feel,” he struggled to explain, “and I told myself that stuff about regulations. I hid behind my job to stop myself from getting hurt, because I am _not_ good with women. You’re a sweet girl and I’m…”

“A wonderful, funny, kind, strong man, Malcolm Reed,” Hoshi finished. She managed one smile as Malcolm wiped the last of her tears away. “I’m way too distant too. That’s why I asked you to come with me this week…so I could get to…know you.”

The two of them pulled together for a kiss filled of love and caring for one another. Two hearts that yearned for requited love finally found each other. They broke apart and Malcolm was smiling.

“So…you’re not angry at me, then?”

“No,  I can’t be mad when looking into those eyes of yours,” she whispered. Malcolm turned about four shades of pink and brought her lips up to his once more. They both had forgotten that a certain Engineer was still there watching them. But he didn’t mind.

 _Well, I guess they won’t miss me if I leave, then,_ he though and walked away towards the village, wondering all the while if Jonathan and T’Pol would be so lucky.

 


	17. Guidance

Phlox looked outside of the tiny cottage that he was residing in that night. A Jyoran friend he had met lent it to him for the night so that he could do some quiet research. It had the added bonus of being a great place to watch the display of fireworks that went on last night. A polymerization agent that he had discovered in a very pollen-filled plant had sparked his research. He discovered that if added to the seed of a plant of a different species, it would fertilize the aforementioned seed.  
  
But Phlox was here, wondering if this could be applied to humanoids, too. After all, T’Pol and Captain Archer seemed to be more than a bit fond of each other…perhaps someday humans and Vulcans could have children with the proper help.  
  
The sound of a low sniff caught Phlox’s ear and he promptly looked out his nearest window. He saw a woman who appeared to be upset over something and she was sitting on a rock that rested nearby the cottage. Being the caring doctor that he was, he set his work aside and stepped out to the porch to make sure she was okay.  
  
“Hello?” he called out. She turned to face him and Phlox immediately recognized the woman. It was T’Pol. “Sub-Commander?” he asked questioningly.  
  
T’Pol stood up erect and wiped her eyes, which were very much bloodshot.  
  
“Have you been crying?” Phlox asked, even though it was obvious that she had. “What’s troubling you?”  
  
“It’s…something in my eye…an allergic reaction.”  
  
“In both eyes?” Phlox didn’t buy this for a moment. He walked over to T’Pol and guided her into his cottage. “Come on, let’s go inside.”  
  
Once inside, Phlox set to making tea for her. He figured she needed something in her stomach before she opened up about what could possibly make her so upset. T’Pol looked at the plants on his desk and the PADD which held his findings. “May I ask what this is?”  
  
“Of course. This plant here had pollen with a polymerization agent. This allows for it to breed with other plants, producing a hybrid. It inspired me to research farther into whether a Vulcan-human hybrid is possible.”  
  
T’Pol looked away and sighed. Phlox handed her a cup of his tea and the two of them sat down at the desk. T’Pol’s mind was clearly elsewhere, Phlox thought to himself.  
  
“Now, could you tell me exactly why you are so upset?” he pondered.  
  
T’Pol nodded. She did wished to speak to someone about it and Phlox was one of the more understanding people on Enterprise. She paused for a moment before speaking.  
  
“I’ve discovered that I…that I…I am attracted to Jonathan.” _Not Captain Archer_ , she thought. _I love Jonathan._  
  
“I’d say that’s splendid news, but seeing the state you’re in…” Phlox chimed, but remembered quickly that T’Pol was still troubled with this. “But I suppose that’s what upsetting you?”  
  
“Yes.”  
  
Phlox felt somewhat confused. He had been certain Captain Archer felt the same way about T’Pol. She began to explain.  
  
“Jonathan told me about his attraction to me as well. It was while I was performing neuropressure on his shoulder…”  
  
“His shoulder that was injured in water polo some years ago?”  
  
“Correct.”  
  
“There were other methods to relieve the discomfort, you do realize that?”  
  
“Of course there was, but I was there, and I helped him!” she snapped out at him. Phlox’s eyes grew big. “I…I apologize, Doctor, for my behavior.”  
  
Fortunately, Phlox was a patient man. “You’re upset. I understand.”  
  
“As I say, we told one another about our… feelings for one another. I lost control of myself, and then we became…” T’Pol paused for a moment. “We were intimate.”  
  
Phlox blinked. Did she say what he thought she just said? “How intimate?”  
  
“Intimate.”  
  
“Well!” he exclaimed softly. “Um…ah…I’m, um, sure it was a wondrous experience to share something so special with the one person you care for, hmm?”  
  
“There was pleasure involved,” she replied dryly.  
  
“Not just physically, T’Pol! I meant that you shared a part of you that you wouldn’t have given to anyone else.” He added, “It’s only a shame that humans don’t have the ability to become mentally bonded to their partners like Vulcans are.” As he spoke this, Phlox saw T’Pol’s expression change completely.  
  
“Jonathan and I are mentally linked.”  
  
T’Pol had not had the opportunity to share this with anyone, since Jonathan had explained the process, more or less, to Commander Tucker. She did so now to Doctor Phlox, who seemed very fascinated with the idea. So their feelings for each other were very deep, indeed.  
  
“It seems like everything is fine,” Phlox said at her conclusion, “but you never told me why you were crying out there earlier.”  
  
“I was merely upset about something I discovered this morning,” and T’Pol explained about the letter Jonathan had ordered Trip to look at. “Trust is the basis of every relationship…a friend told me that. I’m not sure I can trust him.”  
  
“That’s not a very good excuse, T’Pol.” For Phlox knew better than that. It wasn’t like her to harp on past events, especially one that was so long ago, as this one was. “I think you ought to be grateful.”  
  
T’Pol gave him a puzzled look. “How so? Jonathan should have had more faith in my loyalty to him.”  
  
“Ah, I do agree with you. However…if Captain Archer had not ordered Mr. Tucker to read that letter, what would you have done?”  
  
He received no response. T’Pol had been trying to answer that question for nearly three years, and didn’t wish to think about it. Her life would have had a completely different outcome most likely, and she and Phlox wouldn’t be having this conversation.  
  
“I probably would have returned home,” she said. “I wouldn’t have experienced the many things I have serving aboard Enterprise. I wouldn’t have realized that I…” Still, she could not say out loud what she felt.  
  
Phlox was silent for a moment before he spoke. Sitting his tea down, he said, “I sometimes envy monogamous cultures. Sure, there are some advantages to my culture, such as the variety of women and the freedom of leaving one wife to live with another. Why, one time I had forgotten the wedding anniversary of my third wife, Flora…”  
  
“Doctor,” T’Pol reminded.  
  
“Oh…right. As I was saying, my culture has advantages, but few of them are emotional. You Vulcans, on the other hand, have the ability to know what is troubling your partner and it wouldn’t even need to be vocalized.” Phlox placed a hand on her arm in comfort. “Have you tried to show Captain Archer how you feel? About what he did upset you?”  
  
“I admit that his action didn’t upset me as much as what he told me afterward,” she stated. A tear fell out one eye. “He said he wanted a relationship. I’m not certain if we could.”  
  
“Why, of course you can!” Phlox exclaimed. “You’re a civilian, after all.”  
  
“That’s not what I mean…Doctor, you know what happens to Vulcans if we allow ourselves to give in to our emotions. I am living proof of that. The amount of pain I experienced after that attack is something I wouldn’t wish to inflict upon anyone…especially not the one person I cherish.”  
  
“In other words…you’re afraid of what you might do to him?” he asked. T’Pol nodded solemnly. “The human heart is a strong organ. The Captain is a very passionate person. You know that as well as any one. And love is an unconditional thing. Nothing you do could hurt him as much as not having you in his life.”  
  
“You don’t understand!” T’Pol stood up. “I don’t want become like him!”  
  
Her mind had gone back two years, to the time when Tolaris and his group of rogue Vulcans had come aboard Enterprise…when he had convinced her to meld minds for her own “enlightenment.” Instead he took advantage of her curiosity and ruined her life. “I won’t become like Tolaris.”  
  
Even for a Vulcan, Phlox wasn’t surprised that she’d still have such strong feelings about the incident; it was a traumatic experience, no matter what species she was. He saw T’Pol hold back a few tears as he walked over to comfort her.  
  
“T’Pol,” he said gently, “you don’t have to worry about that. That man was out for his own personal gain.”  
  
“Most Vulcans who stay don’t start out like that,” she whispered. “There isn’t a balance for us. It’s all or nothing.” _But I feel like enduring it all…for him._  
  
The Denobulan nodded. “There may not be a balance for all Vulcans…but I think you found yours. In Jonathan.  
  
  
The thought had never occurred to T’Pol until now. When she woke up that morning, she didn’t feel guilty about waking up next to him as she had two mornings ago; nor was she ashamed of expressing her love in a physical manner.  
  
“You shouldn’t regret your experience,” Phlox told her.  
  
“My only regret is that I didn’t control myself and didn’t try to. We should have had a mannerly discussion about our future beforehand.” Her eyes looked wistful and mentally she told Jonathan, I don’t want to hurt you.  
  
Phlox had more experience in romance than T’Pol did, and used some of his knowledge to help assure her. “Sometimes you may get swept up in the moment. I’m sure you’re not the first Vulcan to experience a night of unplanned passion. After all, your species has been around Earth for the better part of a century, hmm?”

 He watched as T’Pol closed up her eyes. For the first time all day, she seemed to be…relaxed. “See? I’m sure the powers that be will forgive your spontaneity. You’re not the first Vulcan to engage in sexual relations with a human and I doubt you’ll be the last.”  
  
She blinked. Jonathan had just responded to her thought _: … nothing would hurt me so much as losing you._  
  
“Doctor,” she said slowly, “Would there be a way for me to…express my feelings towards Jonathan and still remain in control?” As much as she care for him, T’Pol knew the dangers of allowing every single emotion to run wild. She hoped Jonathan could understand that when she talked to him.  
  
Phlox thought about this. He would have to ask his colleague Dr. Lucas about such a thing in his next letter. “I suppose some extra meditation would help. I’d suggest that Jonathan should join you as well, for your minds and emotions are linked. Whatever he feels, you’re going to experience for the rest of your lives.” His grin literally reached from ear to ear.  
  
_When there’s a will, there’s a way._ That phrase had sounded like illogical nonsense to T’Pol when she had first heard it four years ago, while still on Earth. Today, it brought her much needed comfort. She didn’t have much time to think about that, for Phlox continued upon another subject.  
  
“Now, then. Last night, I witnessed a Jyoran wedding ceremony,” he said. “It was beautiful. After all, this is the most romantic holiday of their year. This couple had only known each other for three weeks, and they knew they wanted to be together. It appears they take the motto ‘No time like the present’ to new heights, eh?”  
  
“Indeed,” T’Pol replied.  
  
“Doesn’t take much to get married here.”  
  
As Phlox continued with the details of the ceremony, an idea quickly formed into her mind…  
  
“…and so now they’ve gone off to their new home to get to know one another,” Phlox finished telling T’Pol about half an hour later. “Jyorans usually stay in their local town of residence during a honeymoon, although they don’t leave one another for too long,” he added with a bit of innuendo that wasn’t completely lost to T’Pol.  
  
At that moment, T’Pol had stopped listening to Phlox as she turned her head towards the open window.  
  
“Is something wrong?”  
  
T’Pol blinked. “I thought I had heard Porthos’s barking for a second. I’m obviously mistaken.” She had to be; there would be no reason for Porthos to be out this far without Jonathan…and Jonathan didn’t know where she was.  
  
Phlox listened along with her—sure enough, he heard something that resembled Porthos’s voice. He looked out the window and was astonished by the sight that he saw.  
  
“No, that’s actually Porthos out there…T’Pol!”  
  
T’Pol leapt out her seat and headed towards the door. She knew Jonathan Archer would never leave Porthos unattended. He watched that dog closer than he watched some of the crew. When she opened the door, she found the little hound sniffing at the steps she had crossed. He looked up at her and ran to greet her by jumping up at her legs. Porthos began wagging his tail at the sight of her, for his daddy would now be happy again.  
  
T’Pol squatted down to give the dog a pat on the head. Never had she been more glad to see the quadruped; as rapidly as he came, however, Porthos soon ran down the steps and she went to follow him. She stopped on the second-to-last step as her heart took a sudden leap.  
  
There, not even five feet away, was Jonathan.  
  
Her eyes grew big and her breath grew shallow. Here was her chance to tell him everything; to explain why she left and to explain just how deeply she loved him.  
  
T’Pol, he said. His eyes were pleading for T’Pol to do something—anything—to say that she cared.  
  
She took two running steps and leapt into his arms excitedly. The sudden force from the jump took Jonathan by surprise as T’Pol placed her arms around his neck. He didn’t question this gesture. He was just glad to see her again—so alive and warm!  
  
Nevertheless, the force knocked Jonathan off his feet and they both tumbled down the slight incline, with Jonathan landing on his back. T’Pol gave him the most passionate kiss he’d ever received, but had to end it much to quickly, for the fall had left them quite winded. Despite that, the two of them looked very happy to stay in that position. Jonathan locked his arms around her waist while T’Pol ran a hand in his hair. She’d forgotten how much she had enjoyed doing that last night.  
  
“Jonathan,” she said, “I’m sorry for my behavior. There’s much for me to explain about…”  
  
He smiled. “I know there is. I’d do anything for you. For us.”  
  
“You’re not upset?” she questioned. “I remember you became upset three days ago when I…”  
  
“That’s in the past. This is now, okay?” She nodded. “Good. Now don’t ever leave me like that again. That’s an order.”  
  
But his voice wasn’t demanding at all.  
  
“You don’t have to worry, Jonathan,” she told him. “You’re essential to my existence.”  
  
“Are you saying you need me?” he asked.  
  
“Yes,” she replied.  
  
With that the two of them drew their lips up to one another’s and became oblivious to their surroundings.  
  
Phlox had unashamedly watched the whole scene from the window, not even bothering to hind through the curtain. He didn’t find anything the matter with it; they didn’t even notice anything around them but each other.  
  
“Well,” he said with finality in his voice, “it’s about time those two come to their senses and act like logical beings! When two people love each other, they should be together!” He had remembered hearing that homosexuals could not get married in America until 2012. It was absolutely rubbish. They couldn’t change who they were attracted to anymore than this Vulcan and this human could. It would be a very difficult relationship given their career choice and T’Pol’s culture…but he believed that love triumphed over everything. Realizing that the front door was still open, Phlox went over to shut it to give them some privacy.  
  
Then he went back to his research in earnest. It may be sooner than he thought that this would come in handy.

***

  
A moment later, Trip, came to the crossroads.  
  
Hoshi looked at the ground. “They go right though this…”

She stopped in mid-sentence. The two men looked down the lane as they saw Archer and T’Pol lying on the ground, engaged in pleasing on another. Trip’s eyes widened at the shock of his two best friends engaging in PDA…but still he was very happy for them.  
  
“Well, it’s about time Jon and T’Pol had some sense knocked into them,” he chimed. “They were just tryin’ to deny that there was nothin’ between them, and now…”  
  
Trip turned around to see Malcolm and Hoshi had taken a cute from their senior officers. Trip simply adverted his eyes away from them and rolled his tongue in his cheek.  
  
_How ironic. I’m the only one of my friends that didn’t get any romance this shore leave_ , Trip mused with a smile. _Except the first night…but that didn’t count. I don’t even remember that. But I guess all’s well that ends well._

 


	18. Understandings

 

 _It’s felt like forever since we last did this,_ Jonathan said to T’Pol.

 _I concur,_ she replied, ignoring the illogic of his remark.

T’Pol and Jonathan had felt like they’d been separated forever, but thanks to Phlox and Trip Tucker respectively, the light shone upon them and they were able to find one another again. Now they were focused on nothing but showing how much they cared about each other, unaware of any on-lookers that may be watching.

Eventually, they regained their composure. Jonathan stood up and pulled T’Pol up with him. The he brought her in for a big hug. T’Pol gladly snuggled next to him, placing her arms around his back.

“I thought I’d lost you,” he said. “That you’d never trust me again. That was so stupid of me not to trust you when you had never given me a reason not to. I never imagined that I’d love you this much.”

“Neither did I…until yesterday.” She looked up at him, and he grinned.

“T’Pol, we’ve both had these feelings for a while. We just didn’t want to accept them because…”

“It’s not acceptable,” she finished.

“Right,” responded Jonathan. “I mean, you’re Vulcan and I’m a captain.”

 _That wasn’t it_ , she told him, and he became puzzled. _Perhaps a private discussion is in order._

_Yeah, I think so. Would we be able to go inside?_

“Certainly,” T’Pol spoke aloud. “I’m sure Phlox wouldn’t mind.”

“Phlox?”

 A moment later, Phlox stepped out of the cottage, partially to gather more pollen for his research but mostly out of curiosity. He gave them a large smile when he saw the both of them cuddled around one another.

“Ah, Captain. I’m sure you and the Subcommander have patched things up…whatever it was.” He gave a slight nod while looking straight at T’Pol.

He smiled back. “Well, we’re about to. Could we use your place, since it seems you’re going to be away for a while? We’ve only going to talk,” Jonathan added as he noticed Phlox was looking a little too happy.

“There are many things we need to discuss, Doctor,” said T’Pol.

Phlox nodded. “Certainly. I’m sure there are. I’ll be glad to take Porthos off your hands there.” Jonathan handed over the leash to him and the dog wagged his tail. “You’re such a good little dog. I’ll admit I’ve missed the little guy. Come along, boy. Good dog.” They watched as Phlox began to head up towards the forest before heading in the cottage themselves.

T’Pol went to the table to get her tea as Jonathan sat down next to her, but immediately realized it had grown cold. She went up to get a fresh cup for herself and Jonathan.

“No thanks,” he told her. “I’m not hungry…I’m just too excited.”

She fixed her own cup instead and sat down next to him, taking one sip to calm her nerves before speaking.

“Jonathan…when I told you that I loved you last night…I meant it.” It had been a difficult thing to admit to him, but T’Pol knew it to be true. “I realized now that we Vulcans do experience love. Most of us are simply more reserved in how we express it.”

He nodded, having a sense of where this was going. “I see.”

“It’s not that I don’t want to share that love with you,” T’Pol continued to explain, “but I can’t allow it to rule me. You and I know what can happen when Vulcans allow do not control themselves. I will not let that happen.”

Sensing T’Pol’s tension, Jonathan grabbed her closest hand and coved it with his. “You’re not like Tolaris. He’s a selfish bastard who feeds off others and he’ll get what’s coming to him. You’re not like that.” He began to feel T’Pol accepting his words and relaxing slightly. “I’ll never let you lose your control, do you hear me? I didn’t let you fall apart when we were tracking Menos and I won’t do it now.”

She nodded. “Thank you.”

“But there’s still more,” he reflected.

“Our relationship won’t be receipted very warmly on Vulcan,” said T’Pol, “and most likely our children wouldn’t be accept either.”

Jonathan had never even given thought to having children with T’Pol. He had thought it impossible.

“There may be a way…someday,” and T’Pol quickly changed the subject. “In any case, there will be many obstacles for us. I hope you’re aware of that before we engage in a relationship.”

“I know that,” he said, “but it will all be worth it in the end. You’ll see. But I just got to know one thing.”

“Yes?”

“Are you really that afraid to lose your control?” The fear was so strong that he had been able to sense it through their link.

T’Pol paused, thinking on how she could explain this to him. There was no way for him to understand the need for control unless he himself had been Vulcan. Although Jonathan had come a ways from his bias, he was far from being an expert on the Vulcan culture.

“I wish I did understand more,” he told her and made plans to learn Vulcan as soon as they got back to Enterprise. “But I think you can show me how you feel.”

“Show you?” she skeptically asked. “This may be a lot for your mind to handle. The link between us is still somewhat weak.”

“My abilities will never grow if I’m never challenged,” he said, “and I want my mind to be as strong as possible when and if you come into Ponn Farr.” He grabbed a hold to both hands. “I want to be here for you, but I can’t do that fully unless you trust me.”

T’Pol closed her eyes and mentally agreed. She did trust him, or this bond that had formed without the aid of a Vulcan priest would have never occurred. She allowed her feelings to be known to him—the intense feelings of fear, her confusion over why she felt this way for him, her concerns about their future together. Then Jonathan promptly responded with his feelings of the love he felt for her, and how he’d fight for their future.

“I won’t say that your worried aren’t valid,” he said. “I have concerns, too. But I won’t let them over–cloud me and deny me the one thing in life that I want.”

With that note, the two of them hugged each other and Jonathan planted a kiss on T’Pol’s forehead.

“You know,” Jonathan said, “we’re going to have to make our relationship legal.”

T’Pol looked up at him. “You mean by marriage.” Her eyes began to take on a hopeful look.

“Yeah.” He smiled down at her. “We’ll have a Vulcan ceremony…if that’s allowed.”

She shook her head. “The Vulcan ceremony does include some types of mental touching on the behalf of the priestess. She could contract the Pa’Nar syndrome.” Jonathan’s eyes grew heavy. So now, Tolaris had taken that away from her, too. But T’Pol brushed his face with her gentle hand. “However, that part of the ceremony is merely to connect the two minds together. In our case, that would only be a formality and not necessary.”

He was reassured. “Well, I guess you’d want a human ceremony?”

“Not quite.”  Here eyes held a certain mirth to them, which caused Jonathan to laugh.

“Well, what do you want?”

She paused for a second, not sure if this was what Jonathan would want. He was a bit impulsive, but marriage was a momentous occasion… He began to stroke her hair.

“T’Pol, if I could, I would marry you today.” T’Pol sensed that he meant this. “I’m not getting any younger, and courtship is just for people that don’t truly know if they want to be together forever. But our minds are linked, and we have all the time in the world to get to know one another.”

“Then I suppose you’ll agree with what I want to tell you. I wish to get married here. On Jyora.”

Jonathan looked a bit stunned at the idea. “We’ve only got…” he checked his wrist chronometer quickly. “…30 hours left of shore leave. I’m sure the person marrying us will need a bit more time. It’s not like this is Las Vegas.”

“Vegas?” she asked, looking puzzled.

“Never mind,” Jonathan shook his head and she forgot about it.

“Doctor Phlox informed me that some couples on Jyora may know each other for two days before they become married,” T’Pol said. “Most engagements don’t last any longer than three months.”

 _Really?_ He thought. Jonathan looked into her eyes, and he knew this was what T’Pol wanted to do. _But why the rush?_ Couldn’t they wait a few months and have a ceremony on Earth?

“The media on Earth would make a spectacle our of our marriage, simply because I am Vulcan,” she said, “and there’s no logic in prolonging the inevitable.”

“You’re right. In our profession, tomorrow isn’t guaranteed, and I want to spend every moment I have being yours in every way possible. So, “ he concluded, “I guess we should find a place to marry us?”

T’Pol showed a hint of a smile on her face. “That is a logical thing to do. Phlox would know where to go; he witnessed a marriage ceremony last night.”

“Before we do that,” he replied, “There’s one more thing I need to do.”  T’Pol watched Jonathan as he took her hand and went down on one knee. “Will you marry me?”

 _You already know the answer, Jonathan._ Nevertheless, she was still enjoying the gesture.

Jonathan grinned. _Just humor me, okay? I’ve wanted to do this longer than I realized_.

“Very well. Yes, I will.” With that, Jonathan gave his soon-to-be bride a kiss, which she returned very happily.

When the two of them walked out the cottage, they found Phlox a few feet away throwing a stick that Porthos ran to fetch.

Sounds good to me. “Phlox, we need to ask you a question. In private.”

Several hours later, Jonathan and T’Pol were married in a beautiful ceremony. Phlox was there to record the whole thing, making plans to show it someday to their future offspring. Never had he seen the two of them look happier, and never had Captain Archer looked so young. Although, forty-four wasn’t as old as it used to be in human standards, which he was quite certain T’Pol would appreciate in their more personal endeavors.

 _And to think that just six days ago, she in Sick Bay denying any attraction to him,_ he thought cheerfully. _Perhaps one day, humans and Vulcans will have children with each other. I certainly hope I live to see that day._

***

Nightfall came.

It was late, but neither one of them wanted to sleep. They were completely alone, since Phlox had taken Porthos with him after the ceremony. The two lovers now walked around the lake, which was deserted as the Jyorans were in their homes having a big feast the commemorate the last day of the Moon Festival. Tomorrow, everything would return to normal; the Jyorans would return to their jobs and so would the crew of Enterprise; but that was far away from them.

T’Pol stopped walking long enough to give Jonathan a long, passionate kiss.

“Officially, we are on out honeymoon.”

“I know, darling,” Jonathan replied.

“Then I’m sure there’s…things that you’d wish to do.” Jonathan was able to decipher what she said. The thought did cross his mind more than once.

“I thought maybe we could spend a little time together before be spend time...um, together.”

T’Pol wrapped her arms around his neck and gave him another kiss, teasing his tongue with the tip of hers. She soon felt him become more aroused.

“Perhaps we should go to our room just yet,” she said. Her eyes darted to the lake for a moment.

Jonathan’s eyes grew wide. “T’Pol… that’s...we’re…out here! We can’t do this!”

“That only makes me want it more.”

 _Wow,_ Jonathan thought. _I never thought that…_

The two of them helped one another to remove their clothing, and left them on the banks on the lake. They swam out a little ways into the deeper area, where it would be warmer and more comfortable for them. T’Pol had never been comfortable in deep water before but tonight she cast her fears aside. This was for him to enjoy.

“How did you know this is what I wanted?” he asked.

“I was in your dream yesterday morning.”

“The one when we were sitting on the beach and…”

“Correct.”

He smiled. “I love you. I really do.”

“And I cherish thee,” she replied and ran her hands in his damp hair and over his broad shoulders. “Now, shall we engage in ‘fun’?”

“Yeah, let’s do that.”

With that, the two of them kissed and Jonathan ran his hands over her back as she did the same for him. He tried to hear what T’Pol was thinking, but couldn’t quite make out any of her thought. He didn’t know she could lose her coherent thoughts so easily.

***

T’Pol woke up later that night, feeling that something was missing. She was fully clothed now and Jonathan had his arm draped over her. Yet somehow she was lacking. She gave a glance at her bag and realized quickly what she needed. Making sure not to disturb his sleep, T’Pol got out of bed and put on the sweatshirt she had worn the night before. It contained much of Jonathan’s scent—an aroma that had become very familiar to her over the past week, and one that she associated with warmth and trust and love. She crawled back to the bed and snuggled herself next to him.

 _Feeling better?_ He asked.

_Much better._

_Want to know what I was dreaming about?_ He asked.

Yes.

He smiled, but his eyes remained closed. _I dreamt of our son. He had your ears._

 _We could have a daughter, she quipped, But I would cherish a son just as equally. Good night._ And soon, T’Pol drifted off to sleep as well. She rarely slept without his sweatshirt upon herself after that night.

***

Jonathan woke up to the realization that he and T’Pol had slept under the roof of this little hotel room for the last time. Tonight, they would get back to their mission of space travel and exploration and everything would go back to normal in a few days.

But not everything will, he thought happily.

In four hours’ time, they closed the door to their room for the last time and checked out. There was a rather long line of people leaving that day, returning to their lives, as the two of them would do soon enough. Jonathan watched as the help removed the decorations that he assumed to be part of the lobby’s normal décor. It made the room look rather drab, and he was glad not to be staying here another day.

 _Six days. Six whole days_ , Jonathan thought. To him it felt more like a year—not because the vacation dragged on for so long, but because so much had happened between him and T’Pol. Some of it enjoyable, some not so much; in the end, however, they won.

 _All’s well that ends well, as humans are fond of saying_ , T’Pol quipped.

He smiled. _Yeah, I guess so._

Upon checking out, they walked to the place where the shuttlepod had originally dropped them off. Trip was standing there waiting for them. He grinned when he saw Jon holding T’Pol’s hand and Trip was certain her step was a bit springier. He knew better than to make such an accusation to a Vulcan’s face, however. Trip reached into his pocket to take a picture of them as they approached him.

“This’ll sure be nice to show Junior,” he said. “Where’s Porthos?” For Trip just noticed the dog was missing.

“Doctor Phlox has him,” informed T’Pol. “We took him to his cabin after Jonathan and I…” she stopped in mid-sentence to look at Jonathan. Trip looked at the both of them curiously.

“After what? Come on, you guys! We’re all friends here…well, ’cept you two…um…”

Jonathan placed his hand around T’Pol’s shoulder. “It’s all right, T’Pol. We can tell him.”

“Tell me what?” he exclaimed in impatience. They had only been together for one day, and already they had their own little secrets.

Jonathan’s grin got even wider. “T’Pol and I…um…eloped, um, yesterday.”

Trip laughed his comment off. “That’s funny! I thought you said the two of you got hitched.”

“Jonathan was correct.” All laughter ceased and Trip Tucker was speechless.

“Wait a minute…you—and you!” he stammered. “And…you went…and…but…how did this happen?! One day the you of ya deny havin’ any romantic feelin’s and the next day ya’ll get married?! This a little fast, if ya don’t mind my sayin’ so.”

“Well, given this link between us,” Jonathan responded, “we’d end up getting married eventually. Why put it off?”

Trip looked to T’Pol for the voice of reason. “Wouldn’t you have like a little…you know…romance before tyin’ the knot?”

“Getting married on Jyora was my idea,” she commented. “We’ll have many years to make up for our somewhat short engagement.”

 _Somewhat short?! I’ve heard of 21st century pop singers with longer engagements!!_ To be honest, Charles Tucker the Third was an old-fashioned boy beneath the playboy exterior, and didn’t believe in quick romances. He treasured the long romances before the grand wedding. Which was why at thirty-four years of age, he had yet to be married. Trip was slightly hurt that Jon had not invited him to watch. It soon faded as he saw two of his best friends look so happy together and content. There was a bit of logic in what Jonathan had said; with their mind link, they’d get married soon enough anyhow.

Trip gave Jonathan a hug. “I’m guessin’ congratulations are in order. But if you two go an’ renew your vowels, let me know, okay?” There was a hint of teasing in his voice.

“We’ll try,” Jonathan laughed.

T’Pol walked up to Trip. There was something on her mind that she wanted to say. “Jonathan and I would like to express our gratitude.”

“What for?” he asked, looking genuinely surprised.

“You continued to insist that Jonathan and I were attracted to each other. You were able to see what we could not.”

“Ya mean what ya didn’t wanna see?”

“Correct. In any case, had it not been for your persistence, as well as for many others, we may not have allowed ourselves to feel for one another.” T’Pol did not mention that it was a discussion about their neuropressure sessions that lead to her expressing her feelings, but what she did say was true enough. “Thank you, Trip.”

Trip blinked in disbelief. T’Pol had called him Trip. “Um… you’re welcomed.” It was the last time she ever used his name. Having had her say, T’Pol walked into the shuttlepod, leaving Jonathan and Trip outside to themselves.

“I guess she really looks up to you as a friend,” Jonathan commented. “Listen…I know that I’ve acted a bit jealous this week…about the, um, neuropressure…and I’m sorry.”

Trip placed a hand on his back. “Don’t worry ’bout it. Seein’ you two together is forgiveness enough. Speaking of which…” he pulled Jonathan closer to him and lowered his voice so T’Pol couldn’t hear. “How was it?”

“How was what?” Jonathan asked, feeling the blood rush to his cheeks.

“You know…I mean, isn’t it different with a Vulcan?”

Jonathan pulled away in feigned disgust. He had known Trip long enough to expect such a question. “Let’s go, we’ve got twenty-seven other people to transport in this thing.”

“Aw, come on! Can’t you tell me anything?” he teased.

Jonathan led Trip over to the cockpit. “Drive the shuttlepod and shut up.”

His laughter echoed through the small frame of the pod. “Aye, sir.” Before they could take off, they heard tapping on the side of the window. Malcolm and Hoshi were standing there. Trip opened the door to let them in.

“You guys got real lucky,” Jonathan said. “We were just about to take off. I assume you enjoyed your shore leave?”

Hoshi gave a side-glance to Malcolm, who showed a hint of pink through his normally pale complexion. “Parts of it,” she replied slightly. Jonathan noticed the way Malcolm was looking at Hoshi.

“Malcolm?”

“Sir?”

“Are you two…and item?”

He grinned back at Hoshi. “Are we that obvious?”

“It is simply that Jonathan recognizes the signs of affection in himself,” T’Pol answered just as Jonathan was about to say so himself. Turning to Jonathan, she added, “And I’ve learned to recognize the signs myself.”

Trip had finished the pre-launch sequence and everyone felt the shuttle lifting off. They all looked out the nearest available window to say good-bye to the place that brought them so much.

 _We have plenty of time before we reach the ship,_ said Jonathan. _Perhaps we should…keep each other warm._

 _If you are proposing to “cuddle,” there are other ways of saying it. Like this._ T’Pol placed her head right under his chin and her hands around his waist. Jonathan responded by placing his cheek upon her head and the both of them closed their eyes. Everything was wonderful for them. Their married life would have its ups and downs, joys and sorrows, much like any marriage. For now they thought of only the pleasures that being with one another brought.

As they left the orbit of Jyora, Hoshi took one last picture of the globe; a blue marble filled of green and white patches.

 


	19. Epilogue--The Beginning

“It sure feels good to be back here,” Malcolm said to Hoshi as the walked out the shuttlepod.

“It does. I have to say I miss Earth cuisine quite a bit.”

Malcolm’s mind went to a conversation from nearly to years ago.

“Do you still that hot plate in your quarters?”

“Hot plate? How do you…? Ohhh…I’d almost forgotten about that!” She let out a laugh. “2000 hours, then?”

Malcolm gave her hand a slight squeeze. “It’s a date.”

***

_2300 hours, later that night…_

Jonathan Archer returned to his quarters after checking on each and every part of the ship. He was first greeted to Porthos jumping up on him, hoping he’d have a piece of cheese for him.

“Get down, boy,” he laughed as he pet the beagle on the head and walked a bit deeper into the room. He was greeted by the sight of T’Pol rearranging a few things on the shelf that hung over his bed, adding a few artifacts of her own to his collection.

“Redecorating already?” he asked jokingly.

“I won’t move all my belongings from my quarters,” she assured him. “I simply wanted to put a few items in here that will help me meditate.”

Jonathan picked up a green jade figurine of hers. He remembered seeing one just like it when he, T’Pol and Trip went to visit the P’Jem sanctuary. “Is this Surek?”

“Yes,” she answered and quickly put it back up on the shelf. “I’d prefer for it not to be disturbed. It’s very fragile.”

“The desk might be a safer place to put it. The walls can be a little shaky when we’ve under attack.”

“Very well,” and T’Pol moved it to Jonathan’s desk. By now, he had striped down to just his boxers and considered himself ready for bed. It would be the first of many nights he’d share the bed with T’Pol and he was certainly looking forward to waking up next to her tomorrow. He slipped into the right side of the bed.

“Are you coming soon?” he asked T’Pol.

“In a minute…I’d like to slip into something that is less restraining.”

She went into his bathroom to change out of her blue form-fitting catsuit. Two minutes later, she walked out in a purple silk robe that went down to her calves. Jonathan sat up as she came near him.

“Wow…” was all he could say as T’Pol sat down on the bed. She began to massage his shoulders and run her hands on his torso. “It’s too bad shore leave had to end today.”

“It isn’t the end,” she said, “but more like a beginning. Today we start our new life with each other.” T’Pol let that sink end before adding, “I’m not wearing anything under this garment.”

Jonathan scanned her slim body with a wicked grin. T’Pol arched up her eyebrow and two seconds later, they wrapped their hands around one another and began to share their passion for one another.

And thus the last day of shore leave came to a close; but for the two newly-united couples, this was far from…

**THE END**

 


End file.
